


Everything We're Not

by xxbettysgirlxx



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fame, Internal Conflict, Mental Health Issues, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-25 21:01:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12044202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxbettysgirlxx/pseuds/xxbettysgirlxx
Summary: “Sometimes there are obstacles put in our lives for a reason... Are you going to keep giving up when something doesn’t go to plan or are you going to climb over it for what you want?”."





	1. Prologue: The Happiness of Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> Quick warning: The prologue involves depression, attempt of suicide, a diagnosis of a mental illness, and mentions alcohol/drugs/abusive relationships. Also, anything that I say about the mental illness has either been drawn from personal experiences of mine or researched online, I hope I don't offend anyone with this. If you don't want to read anything related to the topics listed, go ahead and skip to the second chapter xx

 

The room was dark. Only a small gleam of yellow, warm light shined into the small space, the blinds were pulled together tightly. The nineteen year old, Betty Cooper, sat in the middle of her bed with her knees pulled to her chest. She hugged her legs as she rested her chin on the tops of her knees. The comforter she sat on she had owned for years now, but they still looked brand new. She almost felt bad for staining them with blood that was dripping from her. Her shoulder length, blonde hair was pulled into her signature ponytail. The edges were smooth, there was not a flyaway insight. The room was painted a light, rose pink and was themed as if she was still a third grader. That was one thing she loved about visiting her parents, they never changed her room even once she moved out and bought her own apartment. Her old stuffed animals sat in an abandoned chest at the foot of the bed, untouched for ten years now. Her walls were littered with pictures and random art. She missed how carefree life once was. 

 

The thing is, Betty hadn’t noticed how crazy she had become until now. She realized that all the pressure that she had allowed to build up upon herself was becoming too much and she didn’t know how to relieve it. Betty allowed herself to be manipulated and taken advantage of in the acting industry for all of her life. Betty had felt herself inch closer and closer to snapping. She had felt as if she was a rubber band being pulled further and further until she would give in and break. She eventually snapped, but it was years ago and went unrecognized until now. She felt her paranoia spike. She was done with her way of life. Betty was done being a lapdog for any management company, brand deal, or movie director that wanted her. She was done being friends with snotty people who think of themselves as higher than the others. Most of all, Betty was absolutely done with herself.

 

While being in the acting profession, she was constantly travelling and filming new movies or television series she was in. Betty owned an apartment in Los Angeles and Manhattan, New York, she lived alone most of the time. However, she never seemed to be alone. Her friends were always over and her boyfriend basically lived there, but refused to make their relationship official. Her boyfriend, Chuck Clayton, was a lesser known actor around Hollywood. Chuck helped Betty find her connections to dealers and alcohol. Betty was underage, however Chuck was twenty one and was more than willing to help fund her escapades. He had very violent and unhealthy tendencies that led to physical and emotional abuse. She wished it was because of the drugs and alcohol, but someone people are just terrible people. Betty often didn’t know why she stayed with him, but she never told him to leave. She liked that she wasn't alone anymore and he could be very sweet and caring when he wanted to. However, Chuck technically was never interested in Betty for more than the sex she would provide him with. He would never had told her that though. Chuck had a major boost in his popularity and in his demand once he was seen around town with “Betty Cooper: the Child Star”. She would wake up the morning after they rocked the bed throughout the night, plaster on her famous smile, and tell him that she loved him while walking out the door. He had his own key to her apartment, he assumed it was so they could hook up more often. Chuck soon realized it was because Betty thought that they were in fact dating, in his mind they were nothing more to each other than a sexual release when one of them was lonely and needed a fix. He went along with it, not wanting to lose his right-hand whore. 

 

As a popular actress, Betty always seemed to be on the move, in different time zones, at a new awards event, or filming something new. To most that would be exciting and many would feel blessed to be in the place that she is. However, she hated it. She hated the looks she received through interviews. She hated the fake, fantasized adoration. She hated her lack of privacy. She hated the standards she was held to. Betty hated her life, but most of all she hated herself. She hated herself for pursuing an acting career at the young age of six. She hated that she allowed herself to be exploited by her manager. Betty had tried to be perfect her whole life and now at the age of nineteen she was crumbling, she was splintering like old wood. Betty couldn’t handle the pressure anymore. She had tried everything to relieve the pain. Her boyfriend, Chuck, introduced her to cocaine, it helped but not enough. She tried drinking, but being under the influence was too obvious to the public. She had tried marijuana, but after she was arrested with possession after buying it for a second time; she hasn’t tried to buy any since. 

 

Betty probably went crazy when she started participating in illegal activities. Betty drank while underage. Betty did drugs, liberally. Betty turned to whatever she could to numb the pain, for even just a small moment. She was known for indulging in affairs with her costars. As much as she hated to be called a slut, she almost smiled whenever someone labeled her as that. She was finally breaking out of the good girl persona that had been weighing her down for years on end. She spent her money on cars she didn’t need. She bought rounds of drinks for people she didn’t know. She got random piercings and tattoos, anything that gave her the slightest rush. Betty was burning away her money and she couldn’t have cared less. She often found herself up at all hours of the night, contemplating what she could do with herself. Most of the time she would wander the town, getting mixed up in any trouble that came her way.

 

Betty felt as if she was spiraling out of control and she was losing the last bit of grip she had on her life. Betty needed to feel in control, she needed something. She started limiting her eating. She would portion her food out a certain way, but keeping the deductions minor enough so nobody would notice. Eventually, she started to see results that made her smile. She would stand naked on her scale before she took her showers, hoping to see an improvement in her weight. Slowly, she reached that number that she had always admired. For once she had control over something in her life and she was never going to let that feeling go.

 

The bed was incredibly soft under her bare skin. The comforter was a pink and white flower pattern that Betty used to adore as an innocent child. There were bees and butterflies sewn into the blanket at a random pattern, she remembered how much she loved butterflies as a kid. In fact, she still loved them. She envied their way of being able to transform into something beautiful. She ran a finger over a white flower and it’s perfect petals. She relaxed her legs and brought them away from her chest, letting them rest once again on her bed. Her finger then drew hearts on her thigh, some of the blood from her raw palms rubbing off onto her porcelain skin. Betty lost focus when her sister Polly emerged from the bathroom with a wet washcloth.

 

“Oh, Betty… What are you doing to yourself?” Polly calmly sat beside Betty, her face solemn. Betty and Polly looked almost identical, only Polly’s face was more of a rounder shape. Betty had always been more slender compared to Polly, unfortunately she didn’t have as beautiful of curves as Polly did. Compared to Polly, boys at school often went for her instead of Betty. Mainly because Polly had always been more outgoing, willing to break the rules, and push the boundaries- which was ironic because Polly had always been the more maternal of the two of them.

 

Betty sat staring at the fabric where a bee looked to be resting happily on a flower, “I don’t know what you mean, Polly.” Betty’s voice was eerily empty. She had no tone to her voice, no emotion in her face. Betty sat in the dark while wearing her matching pink laced bra and panties, they were Chuck's favorite. Whenever she wore the set for him, he would tell her that she was finally reaching her potential of being perfect, while carting her off to bed. She tried to buy more lingerie in that style and color from then on. 

 

Polly carefully took Betty’s hand in hers and opened her palm to find it jagged with crescent cuts, deeper than she was used to seeing. Next, she started on the concerningly large cut across her forearm. Polly sighed and cautiously dabbed her washcloth across the cuts, absorbing and clearing Betty’s palms of blood. It didn’t help to stop the bleeding. Betty was skinnier than Polly had originally remembered, she didn’t remember being able to count Betty’s vertebrae or her ribs being as visible as they are now. She looked like a frail newborn bird. “Betty, I know these things are hard, but you can talk to me. I am always here for you,” Her voice softened, laced with emotion, “I will always be here for you. I may not understand Hollywood, but I can try. I can give you advice and I will always be here to give you a shoulder to cry on.”

 

Betty was lucky to have a sister who was as thoughtful and caring as Polly. Polly was the one person Betty would always trust, Polly was her best friend, “Everything is just so hard, Poll. Is life even worth it? I mean, what’s the point if we all die anyway?”  Betty frantically looked around, almost as if she was scared someone would overhear her, “The only thing people see me for is my pretty face. I am constantly told to be perfect, act perfect, not to say this, to talk about this instead, or to lie. I lie so much Polly. My fans think they know everything about me… They don’t really. I’m not who they think. In front of the camera, I smile and laugh, but once I’m off camera I am a depressive, hateful person. At the end of the day, I don’t even know who I am. I’ve been made up so many different times and told to act a certain way all my life… I don’t know who Betty Cooper is.”

 

Polly sighed and ran a hand through her hair, “Betty, you are so much more than just a pretty face. You know this, you have so many other talents. You are intelligent. You are hardworking. You are dedicated. You are caring. You are whoever you would like to be, you can decide who Betty Cooper is.”

 

Betty had salty tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. Her head was pounding and she was growing tired from the blood she was losing from the cut in her arm. She laid herself on Polly’s lap, only to find the pillow. Polly appeared by her side and seemed to hold her hand, whispering sweet safe words as blood filled Betty’s hand and her eyes began to shut. Betty was ready to go home and be with Polly. 

 

Polly’s image fizzled away when Betty’s screaming parents finally shattered the door. Betty blinked slowly, not obtaining any of the things they were saying to her. She finally closed her eyes as the ambulance staff made their way through. Alice Cooper was in hysterics telling them to save their last baby. Hal Cooper was trying to stop the blood that was leaking from her veins. Little did he know, that Betty’s hallucination of Polly was there, helping to welcome her into the afterlife.

 

In the midst of the chaos, Betty felt calm. She was ready to be free of the world. Betty could feel herself sinking into the darkness that she welcomed with open arms. She was finally going to find relief. She was going to be away from the horrendous world and it’s sinful ways. Betty was finally able to start over. She was ready to see her sister once again. Polly had died in a rainstorm while travelling to bail Betty out of jail for being arrested with possession of marijuana and driving while intoxicated. Betty never fully believed Polly had died, because she still saw Polly often. She figured her mind was playing tricks on her and that was her way of grieving.  She was ready to see her sister once again. Betty can finally forgive herself for her sister's death, because now Betty had killed both of them. 

 

Betty closed her eyes for a final time and she felt a flutter in her chest, “Dad, don’t worry… Polly’s got me.”

 

***

 

Betty joined 2.5% of the population when she was diagnosed as bipolar one after she regained consciousness in the hospital. Though she felt her depression was worse than her manic episode- her parents disagreed. When Betty was seeing Polly that was her way of slipping in and out of a delusional state and almost falling into psychosis. If Betty had fallen into psychosis, there would have been little chance of turning her back around. Betty was lucky. 

 

At first when Betty woke up and was informed of her diagnoses, she denied it wholeheartedly. She cursed at them, she cried, she denied any explanation the doctors and her parents told her. Betty felt like she was ten feet underground and no one could hear her cries for help. She didn’t know if she was reacting this way because she was now realizing Polly was actually dead or because she was realizing that she could have never been perfect, no matter how hard she would have ever tried.

 

In a short summary the doctors tried their best to explain the mental illness to her. There are two types of bipolar, bipolar one and two. Bipolar one is also known as manic-depressive disorder. People who have bipolar one often experience an episode of mania once in their life. When someone goes into mania their mood is elevated, and their energy is high, almost like euphoria. They often do things that are more of an abnormal behavior compared to how they usually would behave. Usually people that have bipolar one will cycle between mania and depression. 

 

While experiencing mania, the person is often impulsive and constantly on the go. They fly from one idea to the next. Their energy levels are high even when they are running on little to no sleep. Sometimes the image of themselves is high, almost as if they thought of themselves as God. They would spend money as freely as they would like, to an excessive state. They also tend to be hypersexual and abuse substances. Mania could go on for months at a time.

 

Betty barely absorbed any of the information. She was too busy staring at the ugly, jagged stitches that kept her gash together.

 

It took a couple hours, but Betty finally realized the mistake she had almost made. She realized this when a young girl passed by holding onto their parents hand. Her parent had a strong smile, but the girl had cancer. She assumed this based on the lack of hair on the little girl's head, but she was still smiling and acted as if everything was perfectly fine. The little girl actually recognized Betty and shyly walked into Betty’s room.

 

“Are you Betty Cooper?” She was shy, but her tone was layered with hope. 

 

“Yeah, that’s me. Would you like to come in?” Betty offered the girl the seat next to her bed while giving her a welcoming smile.

 

The girl shuffled in, her father close to her side, and made herself comfortable, “My name is Grace and I’m 7. I liked your movie, when you played Cinderella! I think it was so cool that you got to be a princess!” Grace had caramel colored skin that made Betty jealous. Her eyes were deep chocolate brown, they were hypnotizing if you stared into them too long. She was dressed in a pink dress that paired nicely with her jean jacket that hung on her shoulders. Her nails were painted fun colors that caught the attention of any passerbyer. 

 

Betty laughed lightly, “Aw thank you, Grace! I love your bows. They’re very pretty.”

 

“Thank you! I wear them on my wrist because I can’t in my hair. Why are you here? Why aren’t you dressed up and in front of cameras? I mean, you can’t be sick too, can you?” Grace was bold and straight to the point. Betty realized how much she cherished childrens honesty and lack of awareness for manners.

 

Betty gingerly covered her now stitched up wound, “Yeah, my brain isn’t working normally.”

 

Grace looked at her puzzled. She was obviously trying to decipher what Betty had meant, “No one has a normal brain, Ms. Cooper. No one is going to be normal, if we were then life would be super boring.”

 

A grin grew on Betty’s lips, causing her cheeks to form deep dimples, “Yeah, that’s true. Thank you, that made me feel a little bit better. What are you up to today?”

 

“Well, I had a checkup to see how my sickness is doing and now I’m going home. What are you doing today?” Grace was now up and about, roaming the room. 

 

“I’m stuck in here all day, if it’s okay with your dad you can stay and hang out with me today.” Betty could use a friend, even if she is twelve years younger than her.

 

Grace gasped, shocked that someone like  Betty would want to be around a little girl like Grace. She turned and looked at her dad, hope beaming from her eyes.

 

Her dad looked to be thinking through his schedule, trying to decide if Grace could stay with Betty, “You know what? Sure, I’ll let your mom know we’ll be here for a little bit longer.”

 

At first Betty was nervous, she had never really been around kids other than on set. However her nerves quickly dissipated when Grace brought in a board game for the two of them. Betty and Grace spent the whole day talking school, books, tv shows, they talked about anything you could imagine. Betty discovered that Grace enjoyed to read and write as much as she did. Betty spent a good amount of time reading to Grace and Grace spent most of her time listening or writing poems that she would come up with. Betty’s favorite was:

 

_ We may be miles and miles apart, _

_ But we will always see the same moon, stars, and sun. _

_ When you miss me look to the sky. _

_ I will be with you every step of the way. _

 

As their day came to an end, Betty felt torn to say goodbye to her hospital buddy. Betty made sure to get Grace’s contact information so she could plan visits out to see them during her free time. Betty didn’t know if she was ever going to get back into acting, but she knew that even if she did that she would always make time to see Grace. Once Grace left, the room was uneasily quiet. The giggles were gone and the twirling had stopped, Betty knew it was time for her to decide how her future would look.

 

Sitting in the hospital bed, the golden haired beauty was malnourished. Her big emerald green eyes, still had the childlike sparkle underneath the flickering lights. Betty sat propped against a pillow, debating on what her next move should be. She had three options. She could go the rest of her life without medication and be at risk to go into mania once again. She could see a therapist and receive medication to help balance out the chemicals in her brain that were unbalanced. Her third option was to go into a mental health care facility until she felt she was ready to leave and find her ways of treatment or medication. Basically, Betty was looking at meds or going insane once again.

 

Betty was still trying to process the diagnoses. It was a hard pill to swallow. All of her life, she had assumed she had ADHD and anxiety, but in reality she was untreated for something very different. After having a long discussion with her parents, Betty decided it was best for her to go into a mental health care facility for a little while. She knew she could find help with a therapist, but she felt like it would serve her best in the long run to admit herself. Betty had been wanting to find a new path in life and wanting to find a way to start clean. She wanted to start her life over somewhere she originally would have never bothered to give a second glance. Betty was ready to break down her ego and insecurities to rebuild herself from the bottom up. The world was offering her a second chance and she was willing to take it, even if it would take a little bit. She had always been told that patience and endurance are the way to get through life and that was what she was going to do. Wait for the happiness of tomorrow while she endures the pain of today. 


	2. Coffee Creamer Girl and James Dean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! My name is Chloe and I attempt to write fanfics during this horrid Bughead drought. If you want to talk to me feel free to message me anytime @xxbettysgirlxx on tumblr! Also, I apologize for any mistakes, I edit my fics myself.

“Do my eyes deceive me or is that little Miss Elizabeth Cooper?” A shrill voice echoed across the brick walls outside of the coffee shop. Betty looked over to find her feelings mixed with relief and regret, a strange combination. Betty had been waiting for almost half an hour for her old friend to arrive for their meeting. 

 

“Cheryl Blossom. It’s been a while, you haven’t changed much,” Betty smiles politely. Betty had called Cheryl because she was interested in possibly finding her way back into acting. It didn’t take much convincing for Cheryl to meet up with her.

 

“Well, doll, you don’t understand how ecstatic I was when you called me. So, I know you’re hesitant on getting back into acting, but I can promise you that I have an amazing audition. It’s for a new show called  Thornhill , they let me glance at the script and you would absolutely love it.” Cheryl sat across from Betty. Betty and Cheryl have an interesting history together. Cheryl happened to be the same year as Polly, she often picked on Betty throughout middle school and high school. Betty was willing to put that aside if she really did want to pursue acting once again. She knew that if you wanted to get back in the game, you had to have a pretty hefty amount of connections and Cheryl Blossom knew anyone and everyone in the book. 

 

Betty was genuine when she had said Cheryl hadn’t changed. Her long, fiery red hair pulled up perfectly into a ballerina’s bun. Her cheekbones were a strong facial feature, they defined her face nicely. However, Betty had always been envious of how beautiful her lips were. Cheryl could rock any color of lipstick and her smooth lips displayed it nicely. She always had the most daring of outfits, Betty was jealous of them when she was younger, but now she didn’t feel a hint of envy towards her. Maybe it was because she had spent the last three years of her life rebuilding herself or maybe it was because she had finally grown up and stopped brooding on others. Either way, Cheryl would be a better manager than Betty had ever hired. Cheryl knows how to get people places without making them exploit themselves for petty publicity. 

 

“I mean, it might be good to start on a small TV show,” Betty felt hesitant.

 

“Look, Betty, I’ll give it to you straight. You’re coming back from a three year hiatus that was caused by the decline of your mental health. I don’t know how much you looked at magazines while you were away, but let me tell you that the first couple months of you leaving were filled with your face spread across the tabloids. Rumors were flying everywhere, I obviously don’t know what happened to you, but if you are really serious about getting back into acting then this may be a good place to start.” Cheryl handed her a thick envelope with a metal clasp keeping it shut, “If you aren’t given the role, no one will know about your failed audition. This director and the producers were very intrigued at the thought of you trying out. They would be good people to help you get back on your feet.”

 

“So, people know what happened?” Betty’s thumbs grazed the opening of the envelope. 

 

“I mean, there were some weird rumors swirling around.” Cheryl typed something on her phone and started scrolling while reading the headlines aloud, “Betty Cooper is pregnant and single? Elizabeth Cooper: Child Star and runaway? Betty Cooper mentally unstable and unfit for the real world? Betty Cooper covering up her sister's death? I’d go on, but they get more and more ridiculous as I go on. Would you like to share with me what happened?” 

 

Betty knew Cheryl wasn’t prodding. Cheryl was looking out for future scandals, what questions to avoid during interviews, and what she can look out for in Betty for the future, “So when I was eighteen I was fooling around with Chuck Clayton. I got into drugs, I drank, I slept with costars… I just started doing whatever I could to make a mess of my life. Well, nineteen rolls around and my habits haven’t gotten much better, I had even started to, uh, purposefully cut back my eating,” Betty inhaled a shaky breath. Telling her story to a therapist was much easier than Cheryl, “I started to hallucinate and shit got worse… I slit my wrist and next thing I knew I was in the hospital being told that I had suffered from a manic episode caused by my undiagnosed bipolar disorder.”

 

Cheryl nodded and looked as if she was mentally taking notes, “I’m sorry about all of that. What have you been doing since?”

 

Betty smiled a little as she thought back, “Well, I spent a year in a mental health facility. I met a lot of people who were like me and worse than me, I made a lot of friends there. After I learned coping methods, better ways to evaluate situations, had one and one counseling sessions three times a week, and group counseling sessions once a week; I figured it was time for me to move onto to the next chapter of my life.”

 

“And being in the nuthouse helped you?” Cheryl sounded bewildered, as if what she was saying was not computing in her head. 

 

“It stripped away my need of perfection, it taught me that the imperfect were beautiful. To the public we were crazy, but that’s just because our brains are wired differently than others. Our brains were a tsunami of colors coming together to make a gorgeous, vibrant wave of mass destruction.” 

 

Cheryl’s looked taken aback, “Woah there, Emily Dickinson. Dumb it down for me.”

 

Betty couldn’t help but laugh at her flaming haired friend, “Our brains work differently and different is beautiful, but our kind of different can be dangerous without medication, coping mechanisms, or some type of aide.”

 

Cheryl nodded as she took out a notebook and started writing things down, “Did you just disappear after you left the nuthouse?” Betty raised an eyebrow at her and gave her a warning look, “Sorry, I mean asylum.”

 

Betty rolled her eyes, knowing she won’t get much more out of Cheryl, “I travelled  with a group to Asia, Europe, and South America. In South America, because I know spanish I visited Bolivia and  Ecuador to help build buildings, teach children, volunteer in orphanages, helped in food pantries, and I helped with their wildlife conservation. I was there for almost four months. In Asia, the group I travelled that had multiple translators and several groups of us stayed in different locations. I stayed Vietnam and volunteered in care centers for children with disabilities. I stayed for about two months. I travelled around Europe for my own leisure, honestly.”

 

Cheryl had a smile growing on her face throughout the whole conversation, “Betty, this could be amazing publicity for you! Do you have pictures or anything that I could “leak” to the press?”

 

Betty’s mouth fell agape for a second, “No, Cheryl. I went on those trips to improve myself and the lives of those people, I don’t want to use them to help my image.”

 

“Okay, okay, sorry that was the business side of me talking,” Cheryl focused back on her, “What did you do when you weren’t volunteering?”

 

“I started writing stories, poetry and journaling has helped me tremendously. I’ve also been taking some online college classes, just stuff to fill the time. I don’t have many friends now. I moved back to Riverdale and I’m waitressing at Pop’s, actually. I also help out around the library, I’m actually heading there after we’re done. A couple times a month I travel to Pennsylvania to visit a girl that I met in the hospital when I was admitted after I had tried to take my own life. She is the sweetest little girl ever.”

 

“Well, that sounds very beneficial Betty, I hope it helped you.”

 

“That and meds helped.” Betty smiled and opened the envelope that was still held in her hand, “So what is this show about? What would I be trying out for?”

 

“Now you can choose who you’d like to try out for. As for the show, it’s your normal, popular supernatural events occur in a small town that lead a group of misfits together to fight off the evil that is trying to invade their town while also finding love and friendship along the way, blah, blah, blah. You know how those kinds of shows go, but it is a great opportunity.” Cheryl reminded her for the fifth time. Betty was still hesitant on acting, the whole thing almost ended her life. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that it wasn’t the job that hurt her. It was herself and her irresponsibility that did, she was different now and she could handle what was thrown her way.

 

“Well, I’ll sure miss Riverdale, but this show seems like it would be worth the relocation.” Betty told her sheepishly.

 

“Oh my god, Betty!” Cheryl stood up from her chair and threw her arms around Betty. She had caught Betty off guard, almost flipping the chair over, “That is the best part! They decided a couple months ago that they wanted to film the show in Riverdale and in the surrounding areas! You don’t even have to move out of your tiny, gross apartment complex!”

 

Betty blinked a couple times and just stared at Cheryl, confusion masked her face, “Wait, so even if I decided against trying out, they were going to be coming to town anyway? Jesus, Cheryl you could’ve at least told me that.”

 

“Oh, hush. It’s not that big of a deal.” Cheryl stood up and smoothed out her skin tight skirt, “Your audition is on Thursday at two p.m. Don’t be late, be prepared,” Cheryl paused from being her dramatic self and placed a reassuring hand on Betty’s shoulder, “You have done this hundreds of times, you can do it again. I know you’ll do great. Once you get the role we can celebrate with champ- oh you probably don’t drink..”

 

Betty shook her head, “I limit myself, I’d love to have champagne with you to celebrate when I get the roll.”

 

Cheryl smiled wide and pointed her long, perfectly manicured red nail at Betty, “Now that is a winners mindset and I’m lovin’ the attitude! Seize the day Mini-Coop, your destiny awaits.” Cheryl left Betty alone outside of the coffee shop smiling and feeling excited to open a new door in her life.

 

***

 

When Betty was done helping out at the library, she found her way to the very back of the library, it was like a ghost town back there. She could have dropped a pin and heard when it hit the ground. She sat on the ground with her back against the wall and sorted through her stack of books. She organized them by genre- mystery, romance, thriller, and poetry. What may be surprising to the public is that Betty is the complete opposite of a hopeless romantic. Betty didn’t completely feel as if all relationships eventually come to an end, but she did feel that most people fall out of love. She couldn’t comprehend being able to love the same person until she died, it confused her. Betty had never found someone who genuinely like her for her. It was always the fame. She had always been one to shy away from serious relationships due to her fear of abandonment and divorce, the mental scarring her parents had accidentally inflicted on her in middle school. 

 

Alice and Hal Cooper were high school sweethearts, but their love eventually faded and their loving compliments turned to bickering which turned into fights and thus their decision was to end it all together with a divorce. Her parents had been divorced for over five years now, Betty doesn’t understand why she is still hurt by the two of them parting ways. To her, it was the way they went about the divorce. They would yell into the late of night and then the next morning act as if nothing had ever happened. Betty would hear plates crashing, their tongues spitting hate towards one another. The divorce was messy. Hal and Alice didn’t calm down until a year after the two had split up. Both are happily dating someone new and have jobs that they enjoy, but they stopped being so brutal towards one another when they noticed something about Betty was off. That’s why they were together the day Betty hurt herself.

 

Betty sighed and looked down at the book she held in her hand, she was encouraged by her therapist to have an open mind and to not shut love down; she figured reading a romance novel would be a good place to start. Betty sat the book aside and picked up a poetry book instead, she had been wanting to read  _ Milk and Honey  _ for a little while now. She was only a few poems in and already on the verge of tears. 

 

“Um, excuse me?” A voice brought Betty back to reality, “Miss, we’re closing in about ten minutes.”

 

Betty hadn’t realized how long she had been sitting there and reading, “Oh, okay. Thank you for the heads up.” Betty packed up her books and headed to the checkout registers so she could borrow them for a little while.

 

As Betty walked outside she told herself not to feel sorry herself, she is lucky to have people in her life that are so dedicated and caring towards her, even if it may not be towards each other anymore. Her parents were willing to work together to make her happy and that was what she should have been thinking about, not reminiscing in the nostalgic moments her brain likes to tease her with. Betty got in her car and drove to the grocery store, the skies were a murky gray it looked like it was planning to storm. She parked her car and rushed inside before the rain began to fall, her blonde mane blowing in the wind. Betty had long sleeved light sky blue button up that was cuffed at her elbows. She had a few buttons undone, teasing the black lace bralette that lay beneath the fabric. Betty’s legs stretched far from her leather skirt that hit the middle of her smooth ivory legs. Betty had been very pleased with her outfit choice today until she came to the dairy aisle. 

 

Betty suddenly wished she had switched her converse with a pair of heels, she was too short to reach her favorite coffee creamer. She looked around, hoping to find someone to help her, but it didn’t look as if anyone was coming her way down the aisle. With a sigh she tried her best to stretch her arm as far as it could go, only to fail and earn her an aching limb. Betty released a huff and a look of determination masked her face, she placed one foot on the hard, metal edging that kept the products from escaping. She carefully hoisted herself up and reached back to the creamer to emerge successful. Betty was riding high on her feeling of victory until she felt the stand beneath her tremble and give way, letting her fall to the ground hard. To make it better, creamers of all brands and flavors followed her, crashing into her and spilling around her. 

 

“Holy shit, are you okay?” Betty opened her eyes and found a stormy pair staring back at her in concern. When he extended a hand to her she took it hesitantly, she had never seen him around Riverdale before. It was a small town, she may not know everyone by name but she knew almost any face around. 

 

“I’m okay, I just smell like a coffee shop,” Betty muttered. She was covered in coffee creamer and smelled of hazelnuts and vanilla, she could already feel her hair become sticky and stringing together. “God dammit.”

 

The man was bending over the mess, picking up the containers that had survived the crash and placing them back on the shelves. It looked like only three or four had broken open onto her, “I’m Jughead.” 

 

Betty looked puzzled by the name for a second, but quickly shrugged it off, “I’m Betty. Thank you for helping me pick these up, you really didn’t have to. ” Betty wished she could’ve said something better but she was thrown off by how attractive Jughead was. He wasn’t your typical kind of handsome, he had a classic look to him, almost like James Dean. His messy hair was wavy and untamed, a few pieces fell across his forehead. His face was littered with randomly sprinkled freckles. Her favorites were the several moles that were placed on one of his cheeks, his chin, and on his neck that led to below his t-shirt. She blinked and tore her eyes away from him before she started thinking about his gorgeous eyes and unfairly long eyelashes.

 

Jughead smiled and her stomach erupted in butterflies, “Don’t worry about it.”

 

Before he could turn to walk away, she found herself blurting out, “I’ve never seen you around here, did you just move?” Her hatred for her impulsiveness had grown at that moment.

 

“I’m actually in for the weekend, I live in Ohio. I have business that I'm attending to here for the weekend. It’s a really cute town though, I hope to be here for more than a weekend sometime in the future,” She noticed him eying her, “It has beautiful attractions.”

 

Betty felt her face flush and starting to turn beet red, “I would love to show you around sometime. Are you free tomorrow?” Betty’s mind was on fire, her common sense had left her head and her other functions were running ramped enjoying being unsupervised. It reminded her of Spongebob. She couldn’t believe she had just asked a complete stranger if he was available tomorrow. Her hormones were jumping through the roof and about to get her into some major hot water.

 

Jughead looked perplexed, she wasn’t surprised. She would be too if a stranger covered in dairy asked her to hang out. He pulled out his phone and scrolled for a second and looked back at her with a smirk that blew her hormones out of the building, “Actually I’m free tomorrow. Should I pick you up around twelve?”

 

Betty tried to process what was currently happening, “Uh yeah, sure. I’ll pack us lunch and we can go hiking and sightseeing around Riverdale.”

 

“Well, here is my phone number,” He pulled out a grocery list from his cart. He scribbled his phone number down and tore a corner off to hand it to her, “Text me tonight, we can plan accordingly.” His smile was wide and reassuring before he sauntered off.

 

What had she just gotten herself into?


	3. A Medication to Delude Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the overwhelmingly positive feedback this fic has gotten!! It really has amazed me! So, this chapter could have been so much better, I apologize. I’ve been very stressed and had a lot of personal stuff that I’ve been struggling with so I did my best. If there are any grammatical errors, I apologize in advance. Hope you guys enjoy!

**B: Hey this is Betty, the girl from the dairy aisle :)**

 

Betty hesitantly pushed send then flipped her phone over screen down as she anxiously awaited a reply from the raven haired stranger. She paced around her living room, wondering why the hell she had acted on emotion instead of logic. She had not been this impulsive for a while now. She wouldn’t say she was uptight, but more scheduled and reserved. She hadn’t partied in several years, nor had she drank, and she was quite proud of that. Betty did miss socializing, it was awfully lonely only having her mother and a ten year old to talk to. Betty would never admit it, but deep down she kept herself guarded and socially cut off to avoid another mental spiral. But was it worth it? One thing she was still trying to improve in herself was the control freak that dwelled inside her. That’s why she had a day to day schedule, that’s why she was so hesitant on going back into acting. When you’re filming for a tv show or movie, your schedule is erratic and hectic. Each day is different, that was something she was nervous about. 

 

Betty took a few deep breaths and cleared her mind. She couldn’t call her mother about the whole Jughead situation, her mother would be overbearingly excited for her putting herself out there and potentially finding a social circle. Her mother means well, but the whole conversation would overwhelm Betty. She couldn’t call Grace, she was only ten, she wouldn’t be the best giver of advice in this situation. Betty paced for a moment then pulled out her phone and scrolled through her short list of contacts, her thumb hovered over a name for just a moment, but before she could hesitate anymore she pressed the call button and waited. The monotonous ring seemed to go on forever before she picked up.

“Hello?” Cheryl sounded breathless with a hint of annoyance in her tone.

 

“Hey Cheryl, it's Betty!” Betty winced at how over the top and eager she sounded.

 

“Yes, Betty, I know. I have caller ID, what's the problem?” Betty could hear mutterings of a man’s voice in the distance on the other line and Betty realized what she had interrupted.

 

“Oh, shit, um- Sorry Cheryl I didn’t expect you to have, uh, special company,” Betty was standing in front of her closet, staring at her array of clothing. 

 

“No, don’t worry about it. Are you okay? What’s going on?” Cheryl’s tone had shifted and it no longer sounded cold and frustrated, but now it was full of concern.

 

“I-I.. I was just super impulsive and dumb and I made a terrible de-” Betty was cut off.

 

“Did you murder anyone?” Cheryl asked. 

 

“Well, no. I didn’t hurt anyone.”

 

“Did you hurt yourself?”

 

“Technically no, but it could hurt me in the long run.” Betty didn’t know why her voice was growing thick with tears.

 

“Did you steal something? Did you become pregnant? Are you holding someone at gunpoint?” Betty could hear Cheryl’s grin from the other side of the line. 

 

“No, impossible, and currently no.” Betty smiled and took a seat on her bed, the feeling of tears soon dissipating.

 

“Then whatever you have done, this ‘terrible decision’, couldn’t be too bad, now can it?” Cheryl had almost a mothering tone, it confused Betty for a second.   
  
“Cher, I invited a boy over. I met him in the middle of the grocery store and I asked if we could hang out tomorrow. I think he’s, like, super hot and I get butterflies around him! I don’t even know the guy. This isn’t good!” 

 

“So yes, that does sound impulsive,” Cheryl was quiet for a second, “Maybe this is something big. Maybe this is something that is supposed to happen in your life. He might’ve been placed into your life for a reason.”

 

“But what if I end up getting hurt?” Betty’s voice sounded broken. She was scared and she hated it. She hated how defeated and helpless she felt.

 

“Are you talking physically or emotionally?” 

 

Betty bit her lip, “So I’m mainly worried about getting hurt emotionally…”

 

“Why?” Cheryl was patient, letting Betty take her time with her answers.

 

“Because I get feelings around him that I’m not used to.”

 

“Well, I assume those are hormones since it sounds like you don’t know him too well. If it’s just hormones, keep on with it. If it leads to sex, that’s great for you. If it leads to a new friend, that’s still very beneficial. Don’t be afraid of people, Betty. There are shitty people that like to take advantage of nice girls like you, but there are also people who sincerely want to know the real Betty Cooper. Here's what you do, if you like him then keep who you are on the down low. Tell him who you are and your profession when you trust him.”

 

“That's not a bad idea. I'll give it a try, Cheryl.” Betty was genuine with her response.

 

“The sleeping with him or concealing your identity?” Cheryl's voice was taunting.

 

“I'm not going to sleep with him!”

 

“Okay, fine. I’m just saying, you need to let loose and let yourself have some fun,” Cheryl insisted with a huff, but then released a giggle and shushed her guest, “Hey, I gotta go. I’ll call you in an hour, okay?”

 

Betty giggled, “Okay, Cher.” The two hung up and Betty forced herself back into her feet and over to her closet once again. She couldn’t wear a dress, they were hiking. She couldn’t wear her normal hiking clothes though, they made her look like a hobo. She froze and groaned, running her hand over her face. 

 

“Why do I care so much about someone I don’t even know? This is not a date, at all!” Betty’s frustration was interrupted by the alert on her phone, informing her she had received a text. It was from none other than Jughead replying to her text from earlier.

**J: How could I have forgotten the coffee creamer girl that tumbled down the dairy aisle?**

***

 

Jughead Jones hadn’t been in Riverdale long, but he had already seen a girl he knew would break his heart if he gave her the chance. He doesn’t think Betty would break it on purpose, but she had an aura about her that was whimsical and mysterious. He knew he would be engrossed in trying to figure her out. He knew two things- that she was extremely friendly and that she was beautiful. The first thing he noticed about her while she was laying on the worn down grocery store floor was her vibrant, pine tree green eyes. He had never seen eyes so memorable, it was almost as if they had imprinted themselves into his memory. He wasn’t upset about that, if he had to see one thing for the rest of his life it would be her eyes. They gleamed when she smiled and when you looked deep into them you could see hints of blue. 

 

“Earth to Jughead?” A freshly manicure hand waved in front of his face, snapping him out of his thoughts, “Are you with us?”

 

Jughead looked over to his dark haired friend, Veronica Lodge. Veronica was his costar on the upcoming TV show  Thornhill and childhood best friend. They were an unlikely pair, but somehow they clicked and understood each other on a level others usually did not. She was perched in her boyfriend's lap, Archie Andrews. Archie and Veronica had been dating for about two months now and they were attached at the hip. The two had met at their audition for  Thornhill , they had tried out together and have been crazy about one another ever since. Luckily for them, the two of them had landed the roles they had wanted which means they would constantly be on set together. However, that meant Jughead would be a constant third wheel. He was pretty certain this was going to be his hell- or at least purgatory.

 

Jughead had worked alongside Archie when the two of them had minor roles in a movie they had filmed together early last year. He knew what had caught Veronica’s eye when she had first seen Archie. He was a decently tall guy with large, muscular arms and a defined six pack. He was a total flirt, which is what drew Veronica in. Jughead had to admit that Archie was ripped, but he wasn’t jealous. Many thought that because he and Veronica were best friends that meant eventually they would end up together, but it had never been the case for either of them. Yes, they understood each other and had a good time together, but that doesn’t mean that they were compatible romantically. Through all of his girlfriends, Jughead had never been very emotionally open or vulnerable. Jughead was not a fan of showing weakness, he was taught at a young age that showing weakness could greatly hurt you and your loved ones in the end. To him affection was unnatural, he had never felt an urge to present his partner with it. He assumes that is why each relationship he has been in have ended. However, Veronica was the opposite To her the more PDA the better. She has learned to tone it down because of her small amount of time in the spotlight. Either way, the possibility of the two of them being romantically together was as small as the chances of Rachel agreeing that she and Ross were on a break.

 

“Hm? I’m here, what’s up?” Jughead blinked a couple times, focusing his vision on his two friends.

 

“We’re talking about our plan, are you paying attention?” Veronica’s tilted her head, looking worried.

 

“I promise you I’m fine. Now what plan are you to discussing?” Jughead’s phone buzzed and he eagerly picked it up to see a text from Betty.

 

**B: So I’m the ‘Coffee Creamer Girl’ now? I’m never going to live that down, am I?**

 

Jughead smiled and quickly replied.

 

**J: I mean you climbed a shelf for coffee creamer, that speaks volumes ;)  Don’t worry as the friendship progresses I’ll come up with a better nickname for you**

 

**B: Oh, so our friendship will continue after today?**

 

Veronica snaps her fingers at Jughead and whined, “Jugheaaad, please pay attention this is important. You can text your sister later.”

 

**J: *gasp* Betty, are you trying to hit and quit our friendship?**

 

Jughead put his phone back on the coffee table that was in front of the couch he was lounging on, “So what’s the plan for?”

 

“I want to meet Elizabeth Cooper! You know how big of a fan I am of her!” Veronica was already squirming with anticipation in Archie’s lap, which made him suffer due to a part of him that was more excited than the rest. 

 

“Have you ever thought that, maybe, she left acting for a reason? Maybe it was because she wasn’t talented?”

 

Veronica narrowed her eyes at Jughead, “Shut your mouth, Jughead Jones. You have never watched her movies with me.”

 

“Because they all had shitty reviews, Ron. Unlike you, I prefer quality entertainment.”

 

“The shitty reviews were from a parenting website, her movies were usually PG-13 or R for nudity, drinking, cursing, drugs, and violence. Of course parents wouldn’t like their children seeing movies like that!” 

 

“Well, if the average parent doesn’t agree with it then I guess I won’t be watching it,” Jughead sarcastically said.

 

With a roll of her eyes, Veronica continued, “Anyway, I heard she lives in Riverdale. This is a small town, it can’t be too hard to find her. Also, I was doing some research and it looks like there is a Coopers Auto Repair in town too. I think that’s where her dad works, we should check it out.”

 

“Veronica, you’re a crazed fan. You’re the fan we are told to be cautious around.” Jughead’s eyebrow was raised with a questioning look on his face.

 

“Yeah, babe, I think Jug is right. You can’t just stalk someone like this, I mean, she doesn’t have any social media so she obviously doesn’t want to be found.” Archie added.

 

“No social media? I mean, even I have social media and that really says something.” Jughead was surprised, to not have social medias these days was like having a genetic abnormality. 

 

“Yeah, she doesn’t have a Snapchat, Twitter, or  Instagram. I even search for her on Tumblr, but I couldn’t find her anywhere.”

 

Jughead raised an eyebrow, “Have you tried her initials and her birthday as a username on any of these?”

 

Veronica looked over at him, “What? No, why?”

 

Jughead shrugged, “If I didn’t want anyone to know my social media usernames, but still stay in contact with my friends then I would still create accounts. I would just use jj1002, and viola, no one would suspect a thing because I would have the account on private, a picture of something other than my face as the profile picture, a small amount of followers and my name wouldn’t be in the bio. It would look like a mere coincidence.”

 

Veronica squealed and jumped off of Archie’s lap and into Jughead’s arms and held him in a tight embrace. Jughead sat there awkwardly, not knowing where to place his hands and they ended up hovering above her waist, “Ron, you promised we would never show affection towards each other. This counts.”

 

Veronica let go of the brooding boy, “Oh, don’t be such a drag. Sorry, if my hugs don’t warm your frozen, dead heart.”

 

“Glee and warmth is painful to my soul.” Jughead’s phone buzzed and as he reached for it Veronica was faster and beat him to it.

 

“Veronica, no!” Jughead tried to grab his phone from her hand, but she ran out of their bedroom and into the hotel bathroom. She had closed the door and locked it. 

 

“Who’s Betty?” Veronica’s voice teased him, she sounded like a giddy third grader.

 

“No one, just a girl I met. We’re hanging out in like an hour. Please, for the love of Christ, do not text her back.” Jughead was beginning to feel the panic set deep inside his chest. Jughead tried wiggling the doorknob, but it didn’t affect anything. He groaned.

 

“I already did and you’re welcome, because the conversation was dying. I just spiced it up a little bit.”

 

Jughead leaned against the wall and slid down until he was sitting and placed his head between his knees, “Oh, my god what did you do?” He couldn’t believe that Veronica was being this invasive or that she was about to blow his shot with Betty.

 

“She replied- ‘I would never hit and quit our blossoming friendship, but I thought you were only staying in town for a couple days. Ohio to New York is a long trip’,” She paused and read aloud, “I replied- ‘To see you is worth the long trip.’ ”

 

Jughead groaned, “Veronica, what the hell? That is so not cool! We aren’t anything more than friends.”

 

“I doubt that, if you weren’t interested in her then you wouldn’t be giving her the time of day.” Veronica walked out of the bathroom and handed Jughead his phone, “Go have some fun, if you two fool around that’s great. If you don’t then that’s fine as well. Just go and enjoy yourself, stop wallowing.”

 

Jughead sighed and shyly asked, “Well, do I look okay?”

 

Veronica smiled. He was wear a laidback gray t-shirt t and a baggy red and black flannel accompanied by black jeans that hung nicely on his hips. His combat boots are what topped it off. The outfit may not have been showing off his muscles or clinging to his body, but it was him and he was comfortable. That was what really mattered, “You look great, go out and have some fun. Tell me about her when you get back okay? Also, it’s almost May, we need to expand your wardrobe.”

 

Jughead grinned, it made him look like a child again, it brought back innocence that had been gone for years now, “Sure thing, thanks Ron.”

 

“What does this girl look like? What’s her name?” Archie asked.

 

“Her name is Betty and she is absolutely gorgeous. Her eyes are just remarkable, I can’t get them out of my head.” Jughead checked his messages, hoping to see a reply. Instead his heart sank when he saw the message had been read about ten minutes ago.

 

Archie pulled out his phone, “What’s her last name? We should try and find her on instagram.”

 

“Yeah, I don’t know her last name.”

 

“Okay, well how old is she?”

 

“Yeah, I don’t know that either.” Jughead hadn’t realized until now how blindly he was going into this situation. 

 

Archie raised an eyebrow and looked taken aback, “What do you know about her?”

 

“That her name is Betty and that she lives in Riverdale.” He made a mental note to get more information on her.

 

“If you’re not back before lunch in the morning, we know who to have a warrant out for.”

 

Veronica laughed and placed a kiss on Archie’s lips, “Babe, Jughead is a big boy. I think he can handle himself. Oh, and Jughead, don’t forget to ask her about Elizabeth Cooper! I really want to meet her, Jug.”

 

Jughead playfully rolled his eyes, “I’ll try my best. I’ll see you guys later.”

 

***

 

**J: To see you is worth the long trip.**

 

When Betty saw the text from Jughead, she could have sworn her heart had stopped. She was somewhat stunned by how forward Jughead had been. She was worried she was reading into the text too much, but she quickly shut out the negative thoughts and knew that there wasn’t much to read into. He was flirting with her and it had been somewhat intimidating to her, she hadn’t been with anyone since Chuck. She took a deep breath and put her phone down as she made her way to the kitchen. She started assembling the picnic she had promised him. Betty figured sandwiches, fruit, and chips were the easiest items to pack. Sure it wasn’t very extravagant, but if she packed too much then walking around Sweetwater River would be torturous with the extra weight.  

 

Betty connected her phone to a speaker and turned on some music to keep her company. Before she forgot, she made sure to feed her cat, Caramel. Caramel had been a recent gift from her parents for the anniversary of her recovery. Betty loved animals, but she had a feeling her parents gave her Caramel so Betty could have more company. Betty poured the food and gave her fresh water and a loving pet on the head. Caramel was a quiet and shy cat. She would only come out of hiding around Betty and Alice Cooper. 

 

**J: What’s your address?**

 

Betty checked the time and almost dropped a sandwich when she saw it was twenty minutes until twelve o’clock. Betty quickly responded and chopped fruit and packed it into plastic containers then placed all of the food into a lunchbox, accompanied with multiple frozen water bottles. Betty ran to her bathroom and washed her face and put her hair into a loose ponytail, she tried not to wince at how repulsive she looked. 

 

There was knock on the door and Betty cursed under her breath. She was still in her bunny patterned pajama shorts and her oversized t-shirt. She opened the door to find Jughead more than ready to explore Riverdale. He had a loaded backpack on his shoulders with a water bottle in one side pouch and a snack in the other. Around his neck, hung an expensive camera that was ready to record his adventures.

 

“Oh hey, Betty,” He smiled at her outfit, he thought she looked adorable, “Am I early?”

 

Betty sighed and ran her hands over her face and her voice came out more strained than she had wanted it to, “No, no you’re fine. I just lost track of time and I feel really bad because that’ll put us behind schedule-”

 

Jughead cut her off while he supportingly rubbed her arm and he searched for her eyes to meet his, “Hey, hey Betts, it’s fine. I have nothing to do for the rest of the day. My whole day is dedicated to you, okay? There is nothing to worry about.”

 

Betty released a deep breath and looked into his eyes, it was hard for her not to get lost in their alluring color, “Are you sure?”

 

“I am positive. I’ll sit out here while you get dressed and then whenever you’re ready we can go,” His reassuring smile made her feel as if he genuinely cared for her worries.

 

“Okay, I’ll be no more than five minutes.” Betty was already mentally going through the articles of clothing that hung in her closet and that were folded in her dresser.

 

“Take your time.” Jughead watched as she sauntered off to her room, he was happy to see her panic had dissipated.

 

Jughead took in his surroundings. He wondered if her apartment was always this tidy. She had obviously chosen and kept up with a color scheme. It was mainly pastel colors, gray, and white. Her hardwood floors were a color that reminded him of cocoa powder. She had a beige rug that was speckled with black across the fabric, it had a circular coffee sitting on top of it’s surface that held a magazine and potted succulent arrangement. Her couch was an ash gray that had a faux rabbit fur blanket that felt heavy when he held a portion of it in his palm. The couch was occupied by two pillows that were powder blue and pastel pink.

 

Jughead looked around and found a small cat looking up at him curiously. He offered his had for the cat to sniff and he gently pet the animal on it’s head. The cat was a beautiful and had a small build. Jughead ran his hand along the collar to find the name Caramel. Caramel was gray on her nose, ears, and down her back with black marks accompanied across. She was pure white when you went up her belly, neck, and lower jaw. Jughead noticed Caramels eyes were similar to Betty’s, he wondered if it was just a coincidence. Jughead smiled at the multiple shelves that hung on the walls, they held a large variety of movies. They ranged from old hollywood, to horror, to new disney. She had a window seat that peered out over the city and showed a beautiful view of Riverdale. Jughead brought his camera to his eye and waited for the image to become clear then took a picture of the old, yet modern buildings that surrounded her apartment building. Somehow everything in the room came together and was aesthetically pleasing to Jughead.

 

“Could I have a glass of water?” Jughead called down the hall.

 

Her voice carried from her room, “Yeah they’re in the cabinet next to the sink.”

 

Jughead walked into the kitchen and found there were cabinets on both sides of the sink. He simply shrugged and opened one to find it full of containers and different types of medications. Jughead saw the normal stuff she had aspirin, birth control, essential oils, vitamins, but the medications that caught his attention were called lithium and wellbutrin. The label called for her to take three tablets of lithium at night and two pills of her wellbutrin at lunch. His eyes scanned the label, before he could read what they were used to help subside his jaw dropped to the ground at who the medications were issued for.  _ Elizabeth Cooper?  _ He thought to himself. He quickly shut the cabinet door and create distance between it and himself. Jughead suddenly felt sick from his guilt, he felt as if he was trespassing on a part of her life that he had not been allowed access to yet. She had not told him her full name for a reason. She was keeping it a secret from him for a reason, he wished he knew why.

 

Betty skipped out of her room in shorts that made his eyes enlarge. He knew she had great legs - he had noticed them at the grocery store- but damn those short light wash cut offs made his imagination run in a direction that could get him in trouble. She wore a navy blue muscle shirt that that defined her waist and spelled out Janis Joplin in speckled white lettering. She had her own set of black combat boots that went well with the red and white bandana that was used as a headband to tame her ponytail’s fly aways.

 

Betty tilted her head to the side, “You okay? Do you need more water?”

 

Jughead face burned scarlet when he realized he had been staring, “Oh, yeah! Um, sorry. I’m ready to leave when you are.”

 

Betty simply smiled at him. It wasn’t a smile he would normally see. It was smile that formed dimples in her cheeks. It was a smile that sparkled when they light hit her just right. It was a real smile that showed appreciation and gratitude. It was Betty Cooper’s everyday, normal smile, but for some reason it left him breathless. When Betty smiled at him, he could feel the air being stolen from his own lungs and leaving him wondering what was wrong with himself. He needed to pull himself together, he couldn’t let himself feel this way about a random stranger, it was absurd. Right now he was feeling ridiculous, he was acting like a child with this new infatuation of this innocent small town girl. Maybe that was what was pulling him in, the fact that she was the exact opposite of the identity she had taken on. He was hooked and needed to know more. He followed Betty out of the apartment and thought, “ _ Yeah, that’s it. That’s definitely why he was breathless around her and couldn’t stop stealing glances of her. Totally it,”  _ He almost scoffed at his own thoughts, “ _ Is there a medication to help subdue feelings?” _

 

***

 

Betty loved hiking. Betty actually love nature in general. She loved to be outside and see rivers, mountains, and fields. When she was outside she felt lighter, she felt more relaxed. She often wished she could travel around the World and explore mountains and forests and deserts for months on end, but she knew that was not going to happen anytime soon. For a long time, Betty would hike Sweetwater at least three times a week in the morning, but she eventually became too busy to do so. She was lucky to make it on a nature trail once a week. Betty knew that in order to keep her mental status healthy, she had to keep her body healthy as well. That was a reason she made it a priority to be outside once a day, even if it was when she was writing poetry or journaling. Along with the outdoors, Betty ate a very well balanced diet and made sure to take plenty of vitamins. Her mother thought it was weird of Betty to take interest in essential oils, however, they really did affect Betty in a positive way. She used each one as the directions prescribed and they helped her fall asleep easier, calm down quicker from anxiety attacks, improve her digestion, and  help to tame her breakouts. Alice had started calling her a hippy when Betty visited with a bag of food from the local farmers market along with books on “relaxing the soul” and “finding your spiritual awakening”. Betty wasn’t living a bohemian lifestyle though; she was just trying to discover more about herself mentally and physically. Betty didn’t mind the nickname her mother had given her, she was just doing anything she could to be happier and better educated. She had taken an interest in reading and collecting new books that could teach her more about her mind, plants, her body, and ways to bring herself peace. She longed for peace. She knew deep down that she was longing for something that would never come. 

 

“Betts, you have got to slow down.” Jughead wheezed behind her. Today was an unusually warm April day in Riverdale. Jughead had made the poor decision of wearing many layers for a hike, “Damn global warming.”

 

Betty laughed her melodious laugh and pretended that she didn’t notice Jughead checking out her butt as she marched on in front of him. She had worn these cut offs on purpose, she’s glad that they were working for their intended purpose. “C’mon Jug, up this tiny hill and then halfway through the field we’ll come to a patch where we can sit for lunch.”

 

It seemed like forever to Jughead before they arrived at the clearing. By the time he was back to Betty’s side she was already laying out the blanket and separating the food into two different piles, his and hers. Betty looked up and was not disappointed to see that Jughead had shed his flannel and t-shirt to reveal a white tank top that drew attention to his toned arms. She felt herself having to tear her eyes away. Jughead laid himself on the blanket and heaved as he panted, “Jesus, I need to get into shape. My manager is going to kick my ass.”

 

“Manager? Where do you work?” Betty sat near his side with her legs crossed one over the other and she took a long drink of her water.

 

“I’m an actor, I’m going to be a main character on an upcoming TV show called  Thornhill ,” He said it so nonchalantly that it only went over Betty’s head. However, when it registered she choked on her water. Jughead quickly sat back up and pounded on her back, hoping to ease her choking, “Betts, are you okay?”

 

Betty took a deep breath and waited a second to answer, but simply nodded, “Uh, yeah. I just wasn’t expecting you to be an actor. How old are you?” Betty couldn’t believe they could possibly be on the same show together, just her luck.

 

Jughead smirked, “I turned 24 this past October. How old are you?”

 

“I turned 21 last month. So the show is what brought you to Riverdale?”

 

“Yeah, I’m pretty excited. It’s a different change for me, I’ve never actually played a large part like this before. I’ve usually been in minor parts of movies, this is kinda big for me.”

 

Betty smiled, “Jug, that is awesome! I’m so happy for you.”

 

“Thank you! Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?” Jughead leaned back on his hands, but accidentally brushed hers as well. Neither of them moved at the contact.

 

Betty’s cheeks turned a faint pink, “I have an appointment at two, but after that my day is free.”

 

“Well, if you don’t have work do you want to hang out with me and my friends? Their names are Archie and Veronica, they’re dating and I’m sick of third wheeling.”

 

Betty laughed, “Yeah, totally. I would love to. Would you guys want to grab dinner and go back to my place?”

 

Jughead smiled, “That would be great,” Jughead felt his smile falter, “I should let you know something though…” He sat up more and faced her.

 

“What?” Betty’s voice was soft and laced with worry, her face searcher his.

 

“Veronica is like your biggest fan… I know who you are, Betts.” Jughead braced himself to be yelled out and ditched in the middle of a town he has never been to.

 

“Fuck,” The curse escaped her lips and she took her hand away from his. What she did next was worse than being yelled at and ditched. Betty’s eyes looked as if they were trying to hold back their tears and her voice was hoarse when she spoke, “How did you know?” Betty was nervous because she hadn’t met a fan in years, she avoids them at all costs. The people in Riverdale don’t treat as if she was famous because they have seen her grown up. But Veronica? Betty was just trying to mentally prepare herself for her past that was coming back sooner than she had anticipated.

 

“I, um, I opened the wrong cabinet and saw your medications… I just saw the name and Veronica has always talked so highly of you, I just automatically knew. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snooped…” They were quiet for a moment, it made Jughead anxious, “I’m not the best at friendships, so, I’m sorry that I have already fucked up ours.”

 

Betty gave him a small reassuring smile, “I might as well tell you now, because you’ll find out sooner or later, but tomorrow I’m auditioning for  Thornhill, as well. By the way, Jug, you haven’t ruined our friendship, you can't ruin something that has barely begun.”

 

Jughead’s face lit up, “Really? That’s so awesome! We could be castmates, Betty!  Also, you don’t have to tell me what the medications are for, I’m curious, but I understand that it’s your secret and that you don’t want to tell me.”

 

Betty looked at him and for a second, they just sat there in the sun surrounded by a field and crystal clear sky, looking at each other. She was surprised with how steady her voice was when she finally broke the silence, “That’s a story for another day, Juggie.” She placed a soft kiss on his cheek. It was so soft that Jughead, almost thought she had missed or that he had imagined it.

 

“C’mon let’s clean up. I still have more to show you.” A small smirk played on her lips and Jughead then accepted that he had a crush on the beautiful, funny, and forgiving Betty Cooper- who was slowly becoming less and less of a stranger to him. There was no way he could subside his feelings for her, he could only hold them back or act on them. 


	4. Carmex and Eos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what I did instead of my English paper! Yeah, I suck. I can't express how much you guys mean to me, the fact that people actually come back to read my writing is so touching. As I say before every chapter, sorry in advance for any grammar mistakes! xx

“Hey Betty, did you see that deer?” Jughead called to her excitedly. He was not given a response as she kept marching forward.

“Woah, Betts, look at this snake!” No answer.

“Betty, look it’s dead body.” Now Jughead was just trying to get any kind of response from her.

“Help me, Betty! I’m drowning!!”

“You’re not in the water, Jug.”

“I meant, I was drowning in my self loathing. Help me love myself.” He noticed Betty crack a smile and he considered that a win.

The two of them were walking back to his car, he could already see it in his line of vision. After Jughead had confessed about accidentally snooping around in Betty’s cabinets, they didn’t talk much for the remainder of the trip. Jughead felt like shit. He could tell Betty was suppressing her anger and choosing not to tell him how she really felt. He was aware that they barely knew each other, but Jughead didn’t want her to stay mad at him and he wanted her to express her feelings, not hold them in. Jughead had been experienced enough with Veronica and her holding back of emotions, so he could easily spot it on Betty. I don’t think she meant to, but she was rigid around him and each response she gave him was curt. The two of them were walking along the edge of Sweetwater River, today it’s current was almost nonexistent. It was flowing at a slow, languid pace. Around them, birds were silent and the sun looked as if it was becoming clouded from an incoming storm. Oh the irony. Betty stopped for a second and looked to the river. The river wasn’t very wide, it was more deep. An old, sturdy tree had fallen recently and made a bridge over the water. 

“We have to walk across it! That is so cool!” Jughead was already walking towards the fallen tree, camera already to his face.

“Jughead, don’t that’s really not safe,” Her tone reminded him of his mother whenever she used to be annoyed with his behavior as a child.

“Then tell me what’s wrong and I won’t run across there,” Jughead challenged.

Betty’s jaw fell slightly ajar, “That’s your immature decision. I will not partake in your dangerous activities.”

“Then will you please just express your feelings with words instead of your passive aggressive actions?” 

“You want me to explain my feelings?” There was an edge in her voice, Jughead knew this wasn’t going to go very well. Betty was a convincing and talented actress, but her feelings can only be hidden for so long. For Betty, her feeling could only be concealed for no more than half an hour.

“Yes, I want to hear what’s on your mind.” Jughead sat on the splintered base of the tree. His voice was patient.

Betty took a deep breath and exhaled. He noticed her fingers twitching, fighting the urge to curl into her palm. “I’m fine, Jughead.”

“Bullshit. Yell at me Betty, I know you want to. Tell me what you are feeling. Express yourself. I feel awful for what I did, but that does not excuse my actions and make your feelings invalid.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll tell you what’s on my mind,” Betty looked as if she was struggling to find words to express herself. “I-I… I’m not used to expressing myself angrily, so this is weird.” She paused. “I am just so mad, not only at you, but also myself. I am mad at my anxiety towards meeting your friends! I am mad that you know how much of a freak I am! I am absolutely livid that whenever something in my life changes, I cower in the other direction! I never wished to be mentally fucked up, but here I am. I have anxiety that crushes any thought of me getting back into acting. I am constantly afraid that I am seeing things or hearing voices again!” She stood there, her face showed she had many things going through her head that she was trying to process. When she spoke again her voice was low, almost sounding like a scared child, “I am scared of myself, Jughead. I have studied so much on the brain and it’s functions, but I still lay awake at night worried that the next day will be the day I snap again. The day “Elizabeth Cooper” goes crazy again. The day I go back to the mental hospital and don’t come back...” Betty was pacing and seething everything she had kept in for the last few months.

Jughead didn’t say anything. He was happy she felt comfortable to open up to him, but he had no idea how he could help this fragile little flower when he had his own issues he was working on. The only noises were Betty’s heavy breathing and the water trickling its way down the riverbed.

“Fame sucked for me. I know it will be different this time, but my subconscious always tells me differently. I could ruin my life again,” Betty’s tears were lining her eyes, “I don’t even know why I am trying out for Thornhill. I mean, what’s the point anymore?”

“You’ll be doing something you love. You love acting and it will be so much healthier for you than what you’re doing right now, Betts. You just float around town smiling, but in reality I bet it had taken you forty-five minutes to get yourself out of bed and convince yourself to go out. I understand living life in fear, it is absolutely awful. We can help each other through these kinds of things,” Jughead was up now and closing the distance between the both of them. It was odd to him. They had only met yesterday, but he felt like he could be completely open and honest with her. Almost as if they had been close friends for years.

“No you don’t understand Jughead. The feeling of wanting to run away, but knowing no matter how far you go, everything you’re running from will be just two steps behind and will pounce back onto you worse than the last time. I may be on meds now and I may not be suicidal, but there is still something inside me that is broken and for years I have been trying to find something to fix it, but for years I have come back empty handed. All the books in the world couldn’t help me. All the travelling in the world can’t help me escape. In the end I come back to the same place I was in the beginning, wondering why I haven’t been able to solve the problem that lays within me.” The tears fell thick and fast down her cheeks. Her voice sounded as if she were choking back her tears and her breathing was starting to quicken. Jughead knew a panic attack when he saw one. He felt a pain in his chest and a need to bring her into his embrace. So he did. He took her hand and pulled her into his arms while he sat the both of them on the ground. She cried and he held her. His hand soothingly rubbed her shoulder while her breathing started to even out once again.

Once her breathing calmed, they sat there listening to the nature around them. Jughead held Betty and Betty clung to Jughead, she enjoyed the warmth his body provided to her. Jughead couldn’t help, but notice how tiny she was when she sat in his lap. She was curled in his lap with her head buried into his neck below his chin. His hug was something that had shocked Betty, but helped to relax her nerves. Neither of them spoke. Neither of them moved. They just sat there taking in each others embrace and trying to ignore the fact that their bodies fit together perfectly. 

“I do understand, Betty.” He spoke eventually. She had made herself vulnerable to him, he thought it would only be best if he returned the favor. Betty was hiccuping while her bloodshot eyes stared back into his. Somehow the red that brimmed her irises made the green even more prominent.

She sniffled and rested her head on his chest, calming down to the strong and steady beat of his heart. “How?”

“My parents we’re the best. I have social anxiety, I don’t know how I’m going to survive red carpet event. I also have insomnia, hence the purple that is permanently stained under my eyes.”

Betty couldn’t help but giggle at his comment about his bags. She thought the bags under his eyes were surprisingly enticing, “What did your parents do? Where did they work?”

Jughead thought for a second, “Well, my dad was a coordinator of business deals and exchanges within their company and my mom dabbled in customer service-”

“Oh, that doesn’t sound too bad.” Betty gave him a reassuring smile.

“-In other words, my dad was a drug dealer and ran with a gang and my mom was an occasional waitress. Thus, they left me home alone to help raise my little sister. She and I were in and out of foster homes for a while.” Jughead inhaled deep to calm his rising nerves. He thought through his words cautiously, “I have always been afraid of becoming attached or forming a bond with someone other than my friend Veronica, because I’ve known her since first grade. I can’t imagine myself being that close with someone because being able to reveal the darkness that haunts me is terrifying to think about. I’ve opened up to some people and they ended up walking out on me… So I block people out before they can try and even come near my walls.”

Betty quirked an eyebrow. She could relate to what he was saying and she thought to herself, Well with our fears, there go our chances at becoming more than friends.

“Then why are you telling me?” She inquired.

“Because you have suffered as well, you seem to be able to relate to me on some level that no one else does, and as do I with you. Veronica and I don’t connect like you and I are right now. Having open and honest conversation? Sure, but it’s usually about her rich dad and how she accidentally blew too much of her trust fund. You and I both have seen some shit that we could’ve gone the rest of our lives without seeing. I can help you whenever you feel the darkness coming on. Besides, isn’t that what, you know, people like us, who have gone through what we’ve gone through, do? Help each other through the pain?”

Betty gave him a watery smile and nodded, “Yeah, it is.”

“You don’t have to go out with my friends and I if you don’t want to. I figured you would like company.”

Betty sighed, “I need to push myself more, I want to go. I can’t let this hold me back from being happy.”

“Okay, well if you decide against it just let me know.” 

Betty spoke suddenly, “You told me about you, I’m going to tell you about myself now. Okay?” Jughead nodded and she continued, “I was diagnosed as bipolar 1. I didn’t know who I was for most of my childhood or teen years, if that makes any sense. I was molded over and over again by my managers and directors that by the time I was sixteen I didn’t even know who the real Elizabeth Cooper was. She was a mystery to me. Sorry all of this is so jumbled… My thoughts just won’t slow down. So, I used to be on and off with Chuck Clayton, he’s another actor, and he would abuse me. I shouldn’t have stayed with Chuck, but he paid attention to me and, for some reason, I felt like he was almost helping me find out more about myself. I ended up thinking I was weak, fat, and worthless for anything but sex and being a pretty face on the screen. Whenever he got mad at me he would yell and hit me and to avoid yelling out I would just dig my fingernails into my palms… It became a coping mechanism, even when he wasn’t around me.” Jughead’s electrifying blue eyes bore into hers. She couldn’t read what he was thinking. Instead of saying more, she opened her hands and shyly showed him her palms. She had never shown anyone her scars, her mother knew of them, but had never seen them.

Jughead had the sudden urge to find Chuck Clayton and beat him until he was nothing more than a mere pulp. Instead he simply closed her hands and brought them to his lips. A small gesture that brought tears to Betty’s eyes, “You are so much better of a person than that asshole, okay? Now, have you accepted your past and that it is a part of what made you the person you are today?” Betty simply nodded. “Then there is nothing we can do besides turn our backs and walk away.”

Betty looked at him, “It’s not that easy, Jug..”

“By yourself it isn’t, but with friends and family supporting you, you can, and you will, make it through anything the world wants to hurl at you.”

It all came at once. Betty’s lips met his as thunder shook the ground around them and the rain poured from the hauntingly dark sky. Jughead brought his hands to her cheeks while his lips fell in rhythm with hers. He wanted to continue, but he quickly broke the kiss when lightning lit up the sky, “We should probably get out of here.” Jughead smiled at her and help her off the ground. The two of them ran to the car and by the time they made it into the safe, dry inside of his Jeep they were soaked to the bone.

“Oh, no Jughead your camera!”

Jughead started the engine, “No worries, it’s waterproof. I love photographing nature so I figured waterproof would be a good choice.”

Betty smiled at him watched while he ran a hand through his damp hair to keep it out of his eyes while his jaw line was set and tempting as he had a focused look on his face while staring at the road. He held a toothpick in the corner of his mouth and he glanced at her for just a second and gave a smirked, “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

Betty knew he was kidding, but she wasn’t when she pulled the camera from it’s case and took a picture of his beauty. She wanted to be able to remember this moment.

***

The rain had left them drenched and shivering by the time they had arrived back at Betty’s apartment. Betty was able to change into dry clothes, but she had to search to find Jughead something to wear. She hadn’t been in a relationship with a boy in three years, so she didn’t have many options for him to choose from clothing wise. She almost hoped she couldn’t find anything for him to wear when he walked into her room. His chest was bare and lean. He wasn’t excessively muscular, he had an athletic build that left him looking toned and healthy. He had taunting pecs, enticing abs, broad and strong shoulders, and don’t get her started on his arms. It was hard for her not to pounce on Jughead when he walked into her room questioning where her dryer was. His jeans were heavy with water which made them hang low on his hips and taunt Betty with his prominent v-lines. She calmed her hormones and eventually found him some clothes to wear. Jughead came back out from changing in the bathroom and was wearing a t-shirt that had always been too baggy on Betty, it surprisingly fit him perfectly. She told him to keep it, she never wore it. Betty had to dig through her closet, her dresser drawers, and her hall closet, but she was eventually able to find old sweatpants that used to belong to her dad. Her mother had accidentally put a pair in Betty’s boxes instead of her father's years ago. Betty had always forgotten to give them back to him.

Jughead quickly learned that when Betty was trying out for the role, she didn’t just read the lines of the character; she would hardcore study her character. Jughead was quick to take up her offer of an extended visit to help her practice lines; he didn’t realized that meant they would be looking up her character's history from the comic books that the show was loosely based off of. Betty’s once clean coffee table had become littered with papers, her laptop rested on the surface for the two of them to conduct more research on the comics history, and hot chocolate. 

“So did you used to read the Thornhill comics?” Jughead asked while he looked at the computer screen while he sat with her in his lap and his chin resting on her shoulder.

“I own a lot of them. You should see my book collection, my mom said it deserved a segment on that one TV show called ‘Hoarders’.”

Jughead raised his eyebrows, “Shit, I have to see this.”

Betty laughed and got up from his lap and took him into her guest room. Jugheads jaw dropped at the sight of her collection, “This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen-”

Betty laughed, “Than-”

“It’s a couple points behind you, but that’s obvious.” Jughead winked at her as her cheeks caught fire.

“I have anything from Stephen King, to R.L.Stine from when I was younger, to Thornhill, to Dr. Suess, honestly the list will go on forever. It’s sorted by genre too.” Betty was sparkling with pride.

“I will have to come back and take a look at all of this sometime.” Jughead tugged her hand, “Because right now, we have more important things to do.”

That night Jughead stayed late to help Betty practice running lines for her audition the next day. He had to admit, he was impressed with how natural of an actress she was. Her expressions and articulation were always extremely eloquent and strong. There were two remaining female leads that were in the midsts of being cast; Cora Wilson and Harper Moore. Betty had read through the sample scripts they had given her and she decided that she connected more with Harper and would present her better than she would Cora. 

Jughead was going to be playing to be playing Maverick Adams. Betty noticed that his character was a darker version of Jughead. The character rang with a gang, he was trouble in all forms, and he had a record with the police. He was the kind of guy parents did not want their daughters to be with on a Saturday night. He had a motorcycle and absent parents which automatically made him the towns rebel clothed in leather.

“Why Maverick?” Betty asked him. She was sitting on her rug while he sat in her window seat and smoked a cigarette through the open window. The rain was still coming down, she was hoping it would lighten so Jughead would get home safely

“I don’t know. I found his character interesting and I’m hoping to see that they add layers to him. I don’t want him to be like any other generic, inadequately written, brooding, bad boy of the town.” Jughead took a final drag from his cigarette and wet the ignited end in a puddle that settled on her window pane. “Why Harper?”

“She seems down to earth and I feel that if I had been a normal teenager I would have been like her. You know, writing for the school newspaper, involved in lots of extracurriculars, being on the cheerleading squad, that kind of stuff. I mean, the summary of her character doesn’t tell me much, but I definitely do not want to play her as a girl who is constantly emotional and down on herself. Yes, she will have her moments of weakness, but I want her character to be portrayed as having strength and being determined.” Betty was playing with the hemming on her shirt. Jughead sat in front of her, their knees brushing each other.

“You never told me what your parents do for a living.” Jughead smiled at her.

“Before my parents got divorced they owned the town's paper together, The Register. My mom still owns it, she has a more diverse staff now. My dad owns an auto repair shop up the street. After the divorce, he bought the garage and it’s now the best repair shop in Riverdale. Well, it’s basically the only one in Riverdale.”

Jughead smirked and got to his feet and stretched, “I’m sorry about your parents divorcing. Those things are never easy, especially being an only child.”

Betty noticed his shirt come up and tease her with a peak of his v-lines, “Thanks, they weren’t the best fit for each other anyway and I wasn’t alone, I had my sister Polly.”

“You have a sister? You have to tell me about her.” Jughead smiled down at her.

Betty’s lips made a thin lipped smile, “That’s a story for another day, my friend. Are you ready to head home? The rain looks to be lightening up.”

Jughead looked outside and nodded then offered his hands to her to assist her up. She accepted his offer and held tight to his hands and rose to her feet. She walked him to the door, “Do you have everything?”

Jughead smiled as he slipped his shoes back on, “Yeah I got my bag, my camera, and my wet clothes. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” He started to pick his things up from the couch

Betty grinned and walked him down to the parking lot, “Yeah, I’ll meet you guys at Pop’s.” The two of them hadn’t discussed the kiss she had planted on him when they were by the river, so when he abandoned his items to grab her face and kiss her, well, you could say she was a little taken aback. It took her no longer than a moment to reciprocate the action and kiss him back. Her hands finding their way around his neck while his thumb caressed her cheek. She had notice how soft his lips had looked, but they were softer than she had thought. I wonder what chapstick he uses, Betty quickly pushed that thought away when she felt his tongue graze her lips, begging for entry. Naturally, she couldn’t say no and welcomed him more than happily. He tasted of spearmint and nicotine, a deadly mixture that seemed to be addictive to Betty. Their tongues curled around each other, delicately exploring one another's mouth and igniting a fire in Betty’s stomach. Betty couldn’t help but let out a whimper when he broke away from her, leaving both of them breathless. 

“What chapstick do you use?” Betty couldn’t help but bite her lip when she glanced at his.

Jughead laughed and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead, “Carmex, you?”

Betty laughed, “I use Eos.”

“I will have to call the creator and thank them. I’ll see you tomorrow and remember, you’re going to kill the audition, I have faith in you.”

Betty blushed and opened the door for him, “Thanks, Juggie. Hey, text me when you get home, okay? I want to make sure you got home safely.”

“Will do,” With that Jughead was gone, leaving Betty alone and wondering if she was able to steal the air out of his lungs they way he did hers. 

***

Betty looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and took a relaxing breath. She was dressed the part: prim and proper. She wore a rosé colored dress that was conservative enough to fit her character's personality, but Betty didn’t want to go along too much with the “good girl” vibe. The dress had diamond cutouts on the waist to flash some skin. To add to the innocence of Harper, Betty paired the dress with a cream colored cardigan and buttoned the top button, letting the rest of the dress show. Her hair was waving perfectly down her head, making her hair look like a golden waterfall. She had applied minimal makeup, just the simple powder, mascara, blush, and lip tint. She walked out of the bathroom and down the hall to the waiting room and checked her watch. She was two minutes early. She sat and read through her script while she waited. A man around her age, probably a little older came out of the double doors, “Elizabeth Cooper?”

Betty smiled graciously and stood, “It’s Betty.”

He smiled, “Ready whenever you are.”

Betty followed him inside and found two other adults, “Hi Betty, my name is Kevin Keller and I am the director of the TV show Thornhill. With me are Melonie Spencer and James Holland, they are the casting directors. So, we know you took a short break from acting, what brought you back?”

Betty smiled, “I really missed being able to turn myself into someone else and portray that character how I saw them. I figured I might as well give acting another shot.”

Kevin looked pleased with her answer, “That’s great! Also, this is a weird question, are you in a current relationship and if so, with whom?”

Betty knew she looked shocked, she could feel it written all over her face, “Not really. Why do you ask?”

“Sorry for the slight invasion. Our producers have wanted us to ask everyone who have been auditioning recently because of what the new guidelines they have established consists of.”

“Oh, what does it consist of?”

“So, the producers decided a few weeks ago that they are wanting the set to be strictly professional. Which means no romantic or sexual relationships with any of the other cast members. The producers are trying to prevent fallouts between castmates from occurring due to breakups and those sort of things. There have been many TV shows that were amazing in the beginning, but have fallen due to personal relationships with castmates ending. Obviously, we are more than happy if you all have close friendships, but we don’t want it exceeding the line. If you are given the part, would you be able to heed to the guidelines and keep your relationships with the cast strictly professional?”

“Yes, of course I could.” Betty gave an innocent, angelic smiled as she lied through her teeth.


	5. The Little Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you all for the love and support you have been giving me. xx

A groan escaped Betty’s lips as she sat in her car, her audition playing in her head almost as if it was stuck on repeat. The audition itself was wonderful. They all connected with her and enjoyed the approach Betty had for Harper, in fact, they told her no one had given Harper the kind of personality Betty had. Most of the girls that had auditioned, presented her as a helpless, whiny, airy type of girl. Betty delivered each line with passion and independence, even adding in some of her own improv if she was feeling like the scene could have used some spice. Her audition only lasted twenty minutes, but the conversations flowed smoothly. However, she was taken aback when they asked her the changes she would make to the script.

 

_Betty ran her eyes over the words and decided she would speak truthfully. She had already lied once to them, she figured once was enough. “I think Harper should be open, if that makes sense. I feel that all the other characters are cutting themselves off from life and it’s experiences, but I feel that Harper could be the central connection to link all of the group together. Ya know, bring them all to each other and help structure and secure bond between the five high schoolers.”_

 

_Kevin was quiet for what felt like too long, but a smile broke out on his face, “What about love interests? We have some ideas, but how do you think Harper should go about romance?”_

 

_Betty had not thought about who Harper could possibly end up pining over. She didn’t know any of the other characters well enough to have a credible opinion. “I haven’t been able to analyze the other characters and their personalities as much as I would have preferred to, but I get the feeling that Harper does not journey outside of her comfort zone very often. I would imagine that she should be with someone who can push her, show her life isn’t as shitty as she may deem it to be. In the comics, she is perfectly fine being single, in fact, I think she likes not having to deal with the drama. I loved her character as a kid. She was individualistic, spoke her mind, she held her ground and stood up for people who are looked down upon for being different.” Betty’s lips curl and create the smallest of smiles, “She reminds me of Elizabeth Bennet. I’m very curious as to who the writers will chose to be her Mr. Darcy.”_

 

_Kevin smile had not left his face, if anything it had somehow grown, “Oh, Pride & Prejudice! I love a good classic.” A joyful sigh left his lips, “Thank you for coming in, Betty. We’ll call you and let you know our decision tomorrow around noon.” _

 

_Betty beamed, “Thank you for having me.” She walked out of the room and found her way outside. She walked out the heavy, metal doors and winced as her eyes tried to adjust to the sunlight. Betty felt a heavy feeling in her chest when remembering she and Jughead could not continue on with their romantic relationship if they both wanted to be on the show._

 

Now here was Betty, her head lifting and lightly coming down onto the rim of her steering wheel, repeatedly . This action had been occurring for a good five minutes now because she knew she had to refrain from a relationship with Jughead Jones. She couldn’t fathom why her luck had been so dreadful lately, all she wanted was to make out with the handsomely dark and sardonic boy and run her hands through his thick curls while they cuddle during an old movie marathon. Maybe this was the universe's way of telling her she was heading down the wrong path, that he wasn’t the right guy for her. They had only met a few days ago and relationships are tedious. They take time and a plan is necessary for a favorable outcome and preferably happy ending. Betty was widely known for overthinking anything that was handed to her. She never means to, her thoughts seem to get the best of her. Whenever her thoughts started to become discouraging she would write poetry of good things in her life and around her. So, as her thoughts started to turn more despondent, she unlocked her phone and pulled up her notes and began to type.

 

**_I was aimlessly wandering around this dumb planet. My world was fogged with doubt, but then you came into the picture and my vision had never been so clear._ **

“Funny, somehow I knew you would still be here.” A sickly sweet voice broke Betty from her ardent, pensive daze and looked up to the one and only Cheryl.

 

“Hey Cheryl,” The redhead was dressed unusually professional. She wore a business suit that clung to her curves. Cheryl’s trousers were black and skinny cut, showing off the stunning curve of her butt. Her blazer hung neatly on her shoulders, lingering at her hips. Under her black blazer she wore a white button up blouse, a few top buttons undone and taunting the imaginations of bystanders around them. The white of her blouse and the cherry red of her signature lipstick were the only color of the outfit. Betty had to admit, Cheryl looked sexy and she was jealous. “Why are you all dressed up?”

 

“I wanted to stop by and see Kevin. Is he still inside?”

 

“Yeah… Are you trying to seduce him?” Betty would not believe that her manager was trying to get in her possible directors pants. That wasn't how Cheryl worked… most times.

 

Cheryl bursted out in a cackle, “Oh, Betty. I would be barking up the wrong tree. No, Kevin and I have history. He likes my clients, I like that he gives my clients jobs, so I was just stopping by to see how he felt about your audition.”

 

Betty raised an eyebrow, she had never heard of managers doing that with directors. Betty didn’t think it was even permitted, “Is that allowed?”

 

“Only if no one finds out. So, keep your pretty, little mouth closed, alright? Where are you off to?”

 

Betty glanced over at the time and let out an agonized, dramatic sigh. She was due at Pop’s in thirty minutes. With her being fifteen minutes away from her apartment and still having to change, she was really cutting it close. “I’m meeting some friends at Pop’s, I need to go home and change so I can be on time.”

 

The rouge lips made a smirk, “Oh, is one of these friends that mystery boy you called me about?”

 

Betty tried her best to give a genuine smile, but gave up right away. She ran a tiny hand through her heavy, sunkissed blonde hair. “Nah, turns out we probably won’t work out. That’s okay though, a person can never have enough friends.”

 

Cheryl’s smirk dropped and her eyebrows knit together, “Mini-Cooper, what happened to your Prince Charming?”

 

“Regulations got in the way.” Betty weighed the option of telling Cheryl. If she told Cheryl then Cheryl may have to enforce the separation and would keep an extremely close eye on Betty and Jughead. However, if Cheryl did know she may be able to help cover for them and hide their impending relationship. “Jughead Jones is the guy I am - or was - seeing. However, he just so happened to be cast on Thornhill, so if we happen to have a relationship of any sorts, we would be going against the producers and their wishes and that would get us in trouble. So, I don’t know what the fuck I should do.”

 

Cheryl raised a flawlessly manicure eyebrow at Betty’s release of profanity, “If they don’t have you sign a contract on it, then keep your relationship under wraps. When I say under wraps, I mean you two only display affection in your own living quarters, no where near the set or around where paparazzi could see you. If you happen to get caught then you can argue the lack of contract. You are technically not obligated to adhere to that bullshit rule without a legalized document.”

 

“Wait, do you think that’ll happen? Do you really think they won’t have a contract for that?” Betty’s heart jumped at the idea.

 

“I’m not sure, we won’t know until you receive the role. They will have you come in and they’ll discuss the role with you while you sign many paper and confidentiality forms. We’ll just have to cross our fingers. I’ll see you later, Betty. Have fun tonight!” With that Cheryl Blossom disappeared into the building, her hips swaying with every step.

 

 _I’m lucky to have someone who cares as much as Cheryl_ , Betty was perplexed that she had thought that about Cheryl Blossom, who used to be a typical mean girl. She realized that people do really change.

 

***

 

Jughead did not remember the last time he was this mad. It had been some time since his vision had turned a deep red from his blood boiling. He had a reason to be angry, but he wasn’t wanting to be angry when he saw Betty. Then again, being around Betty will lighten his mood no matter how angry he still is or isn’t. There was something about her that drove him crazy. He didn’t know what it was, but it made her linger in the back of his mind at night. Maybe it was her eyes and how their green made his insides melt. It was something about the darkness that rimmed her irises, but slowly faded to a soft, warm olive that had a splash of blue that could always lure him in. Another option could be how passionately she speaks of the things and people she loves. Betty gets a look of passion and reverence on her face as she recalls the person she is speaking of and their ways of inspiration.

 

Jughead shook his head while he paced around his room and ran a hand through his untamed waves settle where they please. He had to focus on the matter at hand, not Betty. His mom, Gladys, had called him and he was hesitant to pick up, he regrets that he did not send the woman straight to voicemail. When he answered he voice showed that she was surprised that he hadn’t. The conversation didn’t last long. His mother informed him that she and his father, FP, had decided to separate and find other people. However, they were wondering if he could take his sister in for a year or two so everyone could get acclimated and make the transition into the new chapter of their life easier on Gladys and FP. That was when Jughead had lost control of his anger. Jughead didn’t lose his temper often, but when he did he felt sorry for the other person. He could not believe that his parents had the nerve to ask him to raise his little sister for a few years so they could have sex with other people.  His little sister, Jellybean, was about to be a senior in high school. She was to be eighteen next year and had friends that she had grown up at her school, he couldn’t drag her away from them. He had yelled at Gladys, told her at disgusted he was with their behavior. He told her how much better JB deserved and that he wished they would get their lives in order to stop ruining his sisters and his own. Jughead had hung up on her and he had not regretted it. His parents were toxic for one another, he was surprised they had even wanted to procreate. Then again they did conceive him out of wedlock, resulting in a scandalous shotgun wedding their hometown would gossip about for the next few years.

 

“You ready to go, Jug?” Veronica stood in the doorway of his hotel room. Her legs looked long with her short burgundy skirt that had three golden buttons diagonally resting above each of her hip bones. Veronica looked to be taller than usual, her black heels adding a few inches so she could reach Archie’s lips better, he guessed. Her arms were covered by a long sleeve ebony cardigan that covered her creme, pleated short sleeved shirt  that was tucked away into her skirt. Naturally, her pearls rested on her neck, along with a hickey, for all to see.

 

“Nice hickey,” Jughead smirked and grabbed his wallet and phone and shoved them into his pocket. The three of them were going to be fifteen minutes late and he had already warned Betty. She hadn’t replied so he figured she was running behind as well.

 

“Fuck you,” Veronica lamely sneered with a mocking tone, “You must be really interested in this girl if you want us to meet her.”

 

“Don’t talk about it and don’t freak out when you meet her, okay? I don’t want you to scare her off with you being overly dramatic and bothersome.” Jughead smiled and wrapped his arms around Veronica’s shoulders in a friendly hug and released a sigh. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and sounding on the verge of tears, “My mom called like twenty minutes ago.”

 

Veronica hugged back, “Oh, my god. Jughead, how is she? What was she calling for? Please tell me it wasn’t more bail money.”

 

Jughead release Veronica and released a bitter laugh as he sat on the edge of his bed, “No. It was better, she and my dad are getting divorced so they want me to take JB for a couple years so ‘everyone could get acclimated and make the transition into the new chapter of their life easier on themselves’.” His fingers made quotation marks in the air, but promptly dropped to his lap and a shaky release of air came from his lips as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

 

Veronica sat next to him, “I am so sorry, Jug. I know how hard this has been for you over the past couple years and I wish there was a way I could help.”

 

Jughead looked at her and a dark, hollow tone echoed had replaced the happiness in his voice, “Go back in time to the day they had met and steer them away from each other. Then they wouldn’t have had me and the wouldn’t have been forced to get married. Everyone would be much happier.”

 

“But if they didn’t meet then they wouldn’t have had you. I wouldn’t have the person who’s sitting next to me who has helped me navigate through every godawful decision I have made. Betty wouldn’t have the guy that she has fallen hard for. Who you are is beautiful, the upbringing might have been rugged, but it brought you to the place you are today and it helped to educate you on how you should not live your life. It was a painful lesson, but the outcome will be worth it. You know how you shouldn’t act in a marriage. You know how you shouldn’t act with your children. These things hurt and will take time to heal, but time heals all wounds.”

 

“Time doesn't heal all wounds, Veronica. Besides, what if I’m just like my parents? I mean, it’s all I’ve ever know.” Jughead sounded as if the last piece of hope that lingered in his chest had been crushed.

 

“Jughead Jones, you are not one to be a repetitive offender. I have faith that you and your future wife will someday have an amazing marriage with beautiful, wild haired children.” Veronica smiled at him, “Besides, you gotta pass that beanie down to someone. It’s been a couple years since you took it off and I feel that your son or daughter should definitely have it next. I would love to see one of my godbabies rocking it.”

 

Jughead bursted out into laughter, “It’s not a family heirloom, Veronica!” He laughed and laughed until his side was cramping and tears had formed in his eyes, “Oh, god. Sorry, I thought it was funny you got the impression that I would trust you with my child’s safety in case my wife or I died. Shit, that was funny. Wow, you being my child’s godparent? You should make jokes like that more often.”

 

Veronica rolled her eyes, “C’mon, asshole. Let’s get to Pop’s we’re like a half hour late and I feel guilty for creating a bad first impression.”

 

Jughead rose from the bed and gathered his things. He was silently trying to make a decision. He couldn’t leave his family hanging, he wouldn’t be able to handle the guilt. Jughead was still trying to find a studio apartment in Riverdale and so far he had not had much luck. Maybe if he started looking for a two room it would be easier. Then he could have JB stay with him. He would have to look at the school and get her here near June so she could hopefully meet people before she started the school year. He could find an apartment this weekend and sign the lease. Sometime in the next couple days, he could fly to Ohio to bring JB back over to Riverdale with him. Maybe this could work out.

 

“Hey, get out of your head for a little bit. We are all here to help you. Don’t worry, it will work itself out.” Veronica opened the door for him and they went to find Archie so they could head to Pop’s.

 

***

 

Honestly, Jughead had expected Veronica to scream or faint when she saw Betty. He was looking forward to her embarrassing herself, that was why he hadn’t told her who Betty was. She did nothing he would have expected from her. Instead in a calming fashion, smoothed out her skirt and walked over to the table Betty was rising from to greet the three of them. Jughead couldn’t hear the first few words they exchanged, but he did see the smile light up on Betty’s face. Her teeth sparkled, her dimples were deep, and the crinkles near her eyes brought her eyes to life. It was a real smile.

 

Today, Betty was dressed more differently than she usual. He was surprised to see her wearing more make-up than he had seen her in. Her hair was up into a messy ballerina bun with a few strands breaking free from the bobbi pins hold. Betty wore a mauve cardigan over a white t-shirt that curved with her waist. Her naturally long legs looked to be even longer in the light jeans and her beige booties. Around her neck was a dainty silver chain that held a tiny silver crescent moon that rested right under where he collarbones meet.

 

“How the hell did you end up bagging Elizabeth Cooper?” Archie’s eyes were wide.

 

“It’s Betty,” Jughead corrected him with a smirk. The two boys joined the giggling girls who had already sat down and hit off  with their friendship. The waitress came by to take their relatively easy orders, four burgers with sides of fries, and two chocolate, one vanilla, and one strawberry milkshakes.

 

“This is so crazy, I’m eating dinner with Elizabeth Cooper.” Veronica was holding on tightly to her water glass as if she couldn’t quite grasp that this was her reality.

 

Betty blushed, “I’m not really an Elizabeth anymore, I’m more of a Betty now.”

 

Veronica raised an eyebrow, “Oh, really? What changed that?”

 

Betty simply shrugged, “Life changes people for the better, you know? I was a really shitty person a couple years ago, but I threw that life away and decided to start over. I figured I might as well do the same with the name. I was never a fan of being called Elizabeth, it’s far too proper for my taste.”

 

“Well, someone call Taylor Swift because Elizabeth Cooper is joining her league of the dead.” Veronica gleamed at her, her eyes filled with the warmth of amusement. “Long live Betty Cooper.”

 

Betty’s face turned as red as the worn down exterior of Pop’s booth chairs, “Thank you, V. That’s very kind of you.”

 

Jughead shifted his body so he was facing Betty more, “How did your audition go today?”

 

Archies’ ears perked up at the word audition, “What did you audition for?”

 

Betty played with the sleeve of her cardigan, “Actually, it was Thornville. They’re going to give me a call tomorrow, but I don’t know if I’ll accept the role if they offer it to me.”

 

“You totally should Betty! You and I could be a real life Blair and Serena!”

 

“Didn’t they talk about each other behind one anothers back and spread rumors about each other?”

 

Veronica groaned, “Details, details. Fine, Cher and Dionne or Ann and Leslie. Either way we are going to be best friends.”

 

Jughead interrupted the two, “Wait, hold on. Yesterday you were so hyped for it. You have to take the role. You said you have wanted to get back into acting and this is your shot, Betts.” His hand rested on her shoulder in concern and his tone softened, “What happened?”

 

Betty chewed on the inside of her cheek until she tasted metal. She didn’t want to tell him what she had found out, but he was going to find out sometime. She focused on her cuticles while she spoke, “It was an amazing audition, they really liked me. The reason I’m so hesitant is due to the new regulations the producers have given out.”

 

The two brunettes and the redhead furrowed their eyebrows, obviously yearning for more information, “Romantic relationships between co-stars are not permitted. They asked if I was single and I told them yes and then next thing I knew they were telling me that I can’t be involved with anyone on set.” She noticed Archie and Veronica’s stature become tense, “You two are fine, you started dating before they came up with this rule.” The waitress came by and distributed the meals to the hushed table.

 

Once she had left Veronica sighed, “Jug, B, I am so sorry.”

 

Betty shook her head, “Don’t feel bad. I just won’t take the role.” She looked at Jughead, “This is your big break. I can find mine elsewhere.”

 

Jughead shook his head, “No, it’s okay. We can just be friends. It’ll be easy, I promise. Neither of us should have to give up a role for a relationship that may not last.”

 

Veronica physically winced at his wording, “What he is saying, is that he would love to be friends with you and explore more options in the future.”

 

Betty cracked half a smile at Veronica, “Thank you for sensitizing his words.”

 

Jughead looked confused, “Was that harsh?”

 

Archie couldn’t help but laugh, lightening the dismal mood that hung above their heads, “It was too real, Jug. Your realism gets the best of you sometimes. Just enjoy the good things while you’ve got ‘em.”

 

“Thank you for your wisdom, Archie.” Jughead sounded sarcastic, but as the conversation continued and drifted off into laughter and slapping of knees, Jughead took the memory and hid it safe inside his brain. He took in every detail around him. The smell of different foods mixing and making his mouth salivate. The way Archie would goggle at Veronica as she spoke, almost as if she were the only thing to bring light into his life, like he could not live without her by his side. He almost laughed at the fact that Veronica looked at Betty with such admiration while Betty told stories from her past travels. What he always wanted to remember was how the sun shone through the window and casted a shadow onto Betty that made her look like a legitimate angel, it was haunting. The sunlight reflected off of her golden hair and almost formed a halo, God, he wished he had his camera to capture her beauty on film. The two of them being strictly friends may be harder than he had originally imagined.


	6. Here Comes Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long! I randomly got inspiration for another fic, so I have been balancing my time between them both. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, let me know what you think! Drop a comment, message me/submit an ask on tumblr, or leave kudos! You know my usual apology about any grammar mistakes, just expect it for every chapter honestly. Thank you all for reading!

Two months had flown by and Thornhill was finally in production. The late nights were endless. People often fell ill with heat sickness after our long and hot filming days. The whole cast was what made the sleep deprivation and heat sickness worth it. Betty had never been so close with two people before. Veronica and Kevin had squirmed their way into heart and filled everyday she had with them with joy. 

 

Kevin was the director, but he often didn't want to be thought of as an authoritative figure. He was a little older than Betty, but was an old soul at heart. Kevin loved to tell Betty about the dates he went on with his boyfriend, the traveling he had done for different movies, and how much he could resonate with her mental spiral. He too had a mental breakdown, just last fall, and he told her he could feel something inside him physically snap. He had to drop out of directing  _ The Neighbors _ so he could focus on his mental and physical health. Kevin had never looked better, he tried his best to exercise daily and he had become a vegan just to accept a new challenge. She encouraged his choices, but she loved dairy and chicken too much to give it up. 

 

Veronica was Betty’s new best friend. Betty admitted often that she had never been so close to someone in comparison to her friendship with Veronica. The two started out awkward, but they quickly spiraled into a deep and understanding friendship. They understood each other's limits and boundaries while at the same time encouraging new experiences. Veronica loved to try new things and venturing out of her comfort zone. Betty, however, was nervous to step out of her routine. Veronica was slowly helping curb that side of Betty. Betty had started taking weekend trips into New York with Veronica to be a tourist for once. The two of them had spent a weekend in Maryland and Betty could have sworn that she had seen the most beautiful trails and valleys in her life there. 

 

Betty knew that whatever Veronica did, it was always done out of love and was to never hurt someone. However, Veronica has never stopped mentioning Jughead to Betty even though she knows they no longer talk to one another. Betty and Jughead tried their best to get along in each other's company, but it quickly became evident that it was hurting them more than helping them. The golden girl and the ebony haired boy decided it would be best if neither of them spoke until their feelings had dissipated. It had been two months and neither of them had barely spoken to each other in that time. They made small talk when they had to on set, but off set they weren’t in each others line of sight. Veronica constantly encouraged Betty to go and talk to him to go and “ravage his bed”. Betty couldn’t help but blush when she argued against it. She could never be that forward and his younger sister had moved in with him recently, she didn’t want to put JB in that kind of awkward position. 

 

“So, have you talked to Kevin about the upcoming episode we’re recording?” Veronica asked while trying to hide giddiness. 

 

Betty raised an eyebrow at the raveness, “No, I’m meeting with him in like ten minutes. Why? What do you know?”

 

Veronica shrugged a little too innocently, “Nothing, it’s just discussing a rising couple. Let’s just say Sabrina will feel a certain way about it.”

 

“Care to elaborate? You’re being very vague.” Sabrina Spellman was their fellow costar, she played Cora. She had a massive, and obvious, crush on Jughead. She flirted with him constantly, but because of the rule she never let it go anywhere. Betty could have sworn she saw Sabrina run a hand through Jughead’s hair yesterday and Cheryl had to have her take a walk and shake off her boiling jealousy.

 

“Let’s just say you’re not going to be very happy about it.”

 

“So I’m guessing Cora and Maverick are going to become a thing? Great. Thanks for the heads up, I guess.” Betty sulked and blew her bangs out of her face. “I’m going to go find, Kevin. I’ll see you later, V.”

 

Veronica smiled brightly, “Love you, B! Text me when you’re done, okay?”

Betty nodded and tried her best to sound excited for what lay ahead of her, “Love you too, V.”

 

***

 

Jughead was pacing around Kevin’s office. Harper was going to date Maverick? So he and Betty were going to have to act lovey dovey and flirt and kiss? Oh god. He couldn’t believe this was happening. What the writers had planned was going to mess up everything he had going for himself. Christ, why had he been so dumb to get involved with Betty Cooper? Those damn hypnotizing eyes and tempting legs drew him in and he is still trying to escape the death grip they had on him. She seemed fine with him out of her life and it made him feel like shit. He didn't have words to describe how he felt and that stunned him because he always had a remark or comeback, he was known for his quick tongue. 

 

“Kevin, I'm not really comfortable with this…” Jughead spoke hesitantly and his tone was uneven. He tried to pull himself together.

 

“It'll be great, they dated in the comics! I know it's weird because you're making out with someone you don't have a romantic connection with and you're surrounded by microphones and cameras, but we'll make it a safe environment for you two.” 

 

Jughead nodded and acted as if he understood where Kevin was coming from, “I just don't think it'll be good for our friendship.”

 

Kevin glanced up from the script and focused on Jugheads pacing figure, “You two are professionals. It'll be fun.” Kevin went back to writing down notes and any idea that came across his mind. “I mean, we start rehearsal tonight and then we'll shoot. You two can practice. It's just a fight between two friends and then a passionate kiss, it has to be convincing though.”

 

Oh, it’ll be convincing. “What's the fight about?”

 

“Harper isolating herself from Maverick. Ya know, since they've been friends for years it concerns him and they fight in the garage and end up in a tiny make out session. Gotta address the sexual frustration between the two.” Kevin joked. Jughead wanted to throw himself into his bed and never leave. He was going to have his tongue down Betty’s throat again. Their tongues had only crossed paths once, but it was enough to linger in his dreams.

 

His head turned when he saw the door open out of the corner of his eye. There walked in the girl of his dreams. The girl who haunts his memory. The lovely Betty Cooper. He wished he could have a night alone with her. No script. No cameras. No director. Just the two of them, a bottle of wine, and a classic movie. He would make the night memorable. Not with sex, he wouldn’t complain if it happened, but with laughter and pure happiness. His intentions were mainly innocent, a few dark ones often popped up and he was quick to suppress them.

 

“Hi guys, what did I miss?” Her voice was small and sounded reserved.

 

Kevin smiled and handed her the new script. It was fresh off the printer, still warm against her palms. Her eyes flicked between the script, Jughead, and Kevin. Her eyes were filled with curiosity, something he found in her eyes more than when they had first met. He had barely talked to her in two months. From a distance he could already tell how much more relaxed and outgoing she had become. He knew it was thanks to Veronica, she was always capable of bringing out the best in people. 

 

Betty flipped through the pages to the tabbed scene and she quickly scanned over it and slowly nodded. “Interesting choice of love interest…”

 

“The writers loved what you had said at your audition, ya know, a match no one would see coming, someone who can help her be more outgoing.” Kevin smiled to himself. “That rhymed! That must means it's a good choice.” 

 

Jughead raised an eyebrow at him and added dryly, “That's like me saying ‘My favorite vegetable is corn, next year I hope to star in a porn’ and saying that's a good choice.”

 

“Maybe you are, I'm not involved in your personal life.” Kevin joked. “Okay, in all seriousness you both have to be in hair and makeup in an hour. So read through the scene real fast and throw thoughts and suggestions at me. Once we get that addressed, you can do a quick runthrough of the scene to get a feel of it.”

 

They sat in silence while the two skimmed through the scripts. Their characters Harper and Maverick have been very close friends throughout the series so far. The two are part of a group of students that help ward off unwanted supernatural beings. This is episode 5 and it looks as if they are wanting to transition them from friends to much more. This is the Christmas episode and the two are doing swell until Harper's anxiety gets in the way of her talking to her friends. Harper gets overwhelmed with the supernatural occurrences that are happening amongst the town and she doesn't know if she could handle fighting them off anymore. She starts to push herself away from her friends in family due to her feeling as if her depression and anxiety makes her a freak, an annoyance. Harper shows up to the school's Winter Dance and she was having a good time until Maverick tried to ask her why she hadn't been talking to him. With Maverick doing this it seems to have triggered a panic attack and she flees the gym to try and go home but he stops her and the two kids have an open conversation. After Maverick compliments her and tells her she's beautiful they end up in a heated kiss that takes them into a supplies closet. Betty stops reading there and looks up at Kevin, “This is nothing like Harper. The anxiety? Yes. The random make out because some boy told her she was pretty? No.” 

 

Jughead nodded in agreement, “Yeah, I agree with Betty. A lot of this doesn't sound like them. Harper would never be this forward. I mean, last episode, Maverick had to present his poetry project to the class and it was obviously about Harper but she was too naive to realize it. Why would she jump on him like this now?”

 

Kevin opened his mouth the comment, but Betty spoke before he could, “Hey, she was not naive. She can't fathom someone finding her as beautiful as he does her. She isn't used to being someone's first choice.”

 

Their eyes locked, “Which is heartbreaking because to Maverick she stands out among any other girl in his life. I wish she could see that.” 

 

“Okay, I understand what you two are saying. I'll go talk to one of the writers and figure something out.”  Kevin walked out of the room and left the pair surrounded by a cringeworthy silence.

 

Jughead cleared his throat, “So, how are you?”

 

Betty shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, “I’m well. You?”

 

“I’m good.”

 

“Look… Should we talk about us?”

 

“There’s nothing to talk about, Jughead. How about we just let it be. If anything you were the one that stopped talking to me. You were the one that cut me out of your life.” Betty wasn’t lying. After they had started rehearsals Jughead became distant and eventually stopped talking to her all together. Veronica didn’t know why, she told Betty it was probably his stress getting the best of him. Jughead was very stressed though, anyone could tell. He was working hard to help his sister, JB, transition into Riverdale and create new friendships while helping her with her depression. It seemed like Jughead wasn’t allowing himself a break. He was always on set and when he wasn’t on set, he was helping JB study and quiz her for her college admission tests. He took her to college tours, he assisted in her studying, he drove her to the library whenever she needed, and anytime he was on set he was always moving. Almost as if he would completely break down if he stopped.

 

Jughead released a sigh and ran a hand over his face, “I know, I’m sorry. I just… I don’t think I can handle being just friends.”

 

“Yeah, you made that kind of obvious.” Betty said harsher than she had meant and she quickly acknowledged the mistake, “I’m sorry, that was really bitchy of me. It’s not your fault, I shouldn’t blame you.”

 

Jughead started to answer but Kevin reentered the room with the script which had many red lines and a good amount of red writing on many of the pages. “Okay, so it turns out the writers thought ahead. They had an alternative version, they were hesitant on the original script so they wrote an extra. Same scene setting, but a new plot. You guys need to get to rehearsal then wardrobe and makeup and have to make sure  you memorize your lines. I’ll meet you in the school's main hallway at seven.”

 

***

 

Betty liked the new script much more. It wasn’t that everything had to be to her liking, but she wanted her character to be consistent. She also didn’t want to make out with Jughead, well in front of cameras.

 

The blonde was dressed for the scene that took place at the winter formal. Her dress was a sweetheart cut that hugged her waist and allowed the tulle to loosely flow to the middle of her thighs. The dress was white with sewn periwinkle flowers covering her bust. The dress was simple with no pattern. The white of the strapless dress, the light pink of her lips, the long length her mascara gave her eyelashes, and the golden locks that curled right above her shoulder made her look innocent. It made her look pure. On her feet she wore nude heels that now brought her up to Jugheads nose, not quite eye to eye. She felt beautiful. Though she felt beautiful, she couldn't help the nervousness that was rising from the pit of her stomach and into her throat. They had changed the scene to be more simplistic and romantic, the fight would still occur and end with her lips on Jugheads though. Betty couldn't help but wonder how big of a mistake she had made taking this role.

 

Betty walked to the hallway where the camera crew was setting up. Everyone was bustling around, Jughead was the only one standing still. He was observing the crowd. Watching intently while other people conversed, watching their social behaviors. Jugheads eyes moved over the crowd but stopped when he caught sight of the gorgeous blonde in the tiny dress. He couldn't help but admire how long her legs looked in the heels that clicked against the tiles of the hallway. Their eyes met for a brief second, both of the cheeks turning to a pink hue.

 

“Okay, everyone ready on set?” Jughead and Betty found their places behind the gym doors while the three cameras found their different designated angles.“We'll run through it a couple times, I know how odd you two felt when practicing the choreography earlier. We can do up to three takes, so let's get this show on the road.” 

 

The camera crew readied themselves along with the sound tech and gave Kevin a thumbs up. 

 

“Action!” 

 

The gym doors flew open, Betty exiting the upbeat Christmas dance looking overwhelmed and distraught. 

 

“Harper!” Jughead called to her as he followed close behind. Betty was already deep into her character, she ignored him and kept walking. The camera following close behind the two of them. “Harper! Stop walking away from me for two seconds and talk to me!” He reached out and held onto her arm, forcing her to a halt and for them to be face to face.

 

“Let go of me.” Betty faces Jughead, her eyes had a fire behind them. 

 

Jughead obeyed, “You haven't talked to me in a week. Please let me know what happened and why you suddenly hate me.” 

 

“I don't hate you. I just don't want to see you.” She tried her best to sound cold, but her voice shook and gave away the lies that came out her mouth.

 

“You may say that, but judging by your voice I don't think you mean it.” 

 

“Look, I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to see you. So, how about you just go on back into the dance and go back to kissing Cora.” 

 

Jughead looked confused and stood quiet for a short moment. A mischievous smile curled upon his lips and he took a step closer to her, “Harper Jane, are you jealous that Cora stole a kiss from me?” 

 

Color drained from her cheeks and she became fidgety at the small amount of space between them, “Shut up.” 

 

_ “ _ Should I take that as a yes? Because it meant nothing. She went in and I wasn’t expecting it. It’s okay to be jealous.” He found humor in her jealousy. 

 

Betty rolled her eyes, “I hate you.”

 

“No you don't,” Jughead raised his hand and gently tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, allowing his hand to brush against her cheek. She leaned into his touch.

 

“I know I don't, but I can't like you. You know how my parents feel about you.” Her voice was soft and vulnerable, her frigid tone had melted away and was revealing the Betty he knew and admired. Jughead had to mentally remind himself that none of this was real and the two of them were following scripts and choreographed movements. What he couldn't ignore was how natural all of this felt to him. The feeling of security rested within him while he stared into the haunting green abyss of her eyes. 

 

Jughead gave a light chuckle, “Screw your parents. Their rules are dumb. Not dating until you're 17? That's unreasonable.” 

 

“They're rules. Rules are here for a reason… If we break them then we’ll create so many unnecessary problems.” Betty's stomach tightened. They were so close, it was almost too intimate for her to handle. The script was too relatable, it was basically their current situation. 

 

“Think of all the fun we could have along the way,” Jugheads fingers traced her jaw teasingly.

 

Betty hadn't realized her bottom lip had found its way in between her teeth, “Think of all the trouble it'll stir.”

 

Jugheads eyes glanced from her eyes down to her lips, “You know, sometimes trouble can be good.”

 

Betty nodded and found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and allowing her hands to play with the ends of his hair, “But-” Before she could finish her sentence Jugheads lips crashed into hers and as cliche as it sounded, sparks began to fly. Together their lips found a natural, smooth rhythm that made Betty's knees weak. Jughead’s hands had left her jaw and went tightly to her waist and she wished that feeling would never leave her. They broke away breathless. Betty's hands still entangled in his curls. One of Jughead's hands still on her waist while the other was holding the back of her neck. Their eyes never leaving each other's, both filled with surprise. Both of them feeling the electricity between them. Betty brought her hands out of his hair and moved them both to his cups his cheeks as she spoke off script, “What we have is worth the trouble.” A sparkle gleamed off Jugheads eyes and a boyish smile grew. He knew she was speaking about the two of them. This wasn't about Maverick and Harpers love story, it was about theirs.

 

“Cut!” Kevin broke them of their trance. Both of them untangling from one another's embrace. “You two have impeccable chemistry! I am so excited for the upcoming episodes! That is a wrap, we don't even have to try any of that again. Also, Betty, I loved that line you added at the end.” 

 

“Oh, thank you. It felt like it fit,” Betty couldn't help but glance at Jughead as she spoke.

 

“It did.” Jughead added.

 

Kevin smiled, “Good job today, you two. I'll see you both tomorrow!” 

 

They said their goodbyes to the camera and audio crew while they walked away to go back to wardrobe that was in a classroom a couple halls over.  Both of them were quiet. 

 

Betty spoke first, “What does this mean for us? This could really fuck up our professional relationship.”

 

Jughead sighed, “I don't want to think about the negative outcomes.”

 

Betty stopped in the middle of the hallway, bringing Jughead to a halt as well. Her eyes searched his face, “What do you want to think about the?”

 

Jughead looked at her curiously, “Do you really want to know what's on my mind right now?” Betty nodded, urging him to continue, “You. Us. My body pressed against yours while your legs are wrapped around my waist. Your back pressed against the wall and my lips on your neck while my hands roam wherever you allow them until my name is the only word you know how to say.”

 

Betty's eyes were as big as saucers and glazed over with something that definitely was not innocent, “Oh,” she suddenly started running up and down the hall in search for something.

 

Jughead laughed, “What are you doing?”

 

“I'm trying to find us a closet!”

 

Jughead looked at her confused, but quickly comprehended what she was hoping to accomplish, “Oh! Wait, really? Here?” He started to help her in her search, but grabbed her hand and dragged her into a bathroom instead.

 

Jughead's lips were heavy on hers, it was almost suffocating. He made sure to turn the lock on door once the they surpassed the doorway. His hand had a strong hold around her hips as he guided her through the bathroom. Betty's arms were wrapped around his neck as she felt herself bump into- what she assumes was- the counter of the sink. His kiss made her feel as if she were drunk. She felt warm and tingly. It started in her toes and seemed to find its way to her fingertips as they dragged themselves through his ebony waves. 

 

Jughead lifted Betty so she perched on the counter, their cores touching. His tongue tracing her lip, begging for entrance. When she granted him entrance, she couldn't help but feel a spurt of warmth and familiarity rush over her. Betty couldn't help but mewl at the feeling of their tongues curling over one another. When Jughead’s mouth released from hers, she whined with want. His lips kissed down her jaw and sucked a purple mark into the skin below her ear, earning him a moan from Betty and a tug of his hair. Betty’s breath was starting to becoming shaky as his hands palmed her breast through the tulle material. The feeling of his tongue on her neck and the sensation of Jughead nipping and sucking his way across her collarbone made her come alive with ecstasy.

 

“Wait,” Betty’s voice was hoarse and breathless. Jughead stopped forming another hickey on her neck and looked at her in concern, worried he had taken things too far. “We can’t do this here. Not in a family restroom. I want it to be just us, I want us to be comfortable.”

 

Jughead’s hair was a mess. Betty hadn’t realized how much she had fisted his locks or ran her hands through it. A boyish smile appeared, “I would like that, a lot actually.”

 

Betty smiled and ran her hand through the front of his hair, tucking his fall away curls back into place, “My place tomorrow? We can have dinner and watch a movie,” She allowed her hands to teasingly trail down his chest and stop on the waistband of his jeans, she maintained eye contact with him during the act. “Maybe have a little fun before, during, or after?”

 

Jughead removed her hands from his waist and folded them into each other and brought them to his lips, placing a soft kiss to her knuckles. “You’re a tease, but I would love dinner and a movie.”

 

Betty smiled and pressed her swollen lips against his. The kiss was sweet. No lust, just the two of them innocently displaying affection towards one another. Betty pulled away and rested her head on his chest, “It’s a date.”

 

“It’s a date.” Jughead confirmed while his chin rested on the top of her head. For a moment it was just Betty and Jughead enjoying each other's embrace. There were no contracts to worry about. There weren’t any dysfunctional families to stress them out. There were no pressures from the outside. It was just James Dean and Coffee Creamer Girl against the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys like the fic! Let me know what you are all thinking! Drop a comment, leave a kudos, or message me on tumblr @xxbettysgirlxx


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